The Russian defence ministry says it has carried out missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, warning that attacks like this will intensify in retaliation for what it called Ukrainian “terror attacks” or “acts of sabotage” in Russia.
A Russian warship that was damaged by an explosion on Wednesday has sunk, Russia’s defence ministry has said.
Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was being towed to port when “stormy seas” caused it to sink, according to a ministry message.
Kyiv revealed that its missiles hit the warship. Moscow has not reported any attack. It says the vessel sank after a fire.
Russia says its sea-based cruise missiles struck a factory in the city overnight, which produces air-defence systems and anti-ship missiles.
As a result, the plant’s “workshops for the production and repair of long-range and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as anti-ship missiles, were destroyed”, the ministry added in a statement published on its Telegram channel.
On Thursday, Russia accused Ukraine of sending helicopters across the border to attack several Russian towns.
The BBC is unable to verify these claims from Moscow.
Explosions heard in Kyiv overnight
We have more on the Russian missile strikes on Kyiv we reported earlier.
The strikes were carried out using sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles and targeted the Vizar machine-building plant in the Kyiv suburb of Zhulyany, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement published on its Telegram channel.
Overnight, Kyiv residents say they did hear explosions, and social media users wrote that electricity had gone out in some places, BBC Ukrainian reports.