Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to bring “destruction” to Ukraine in response to a drone attack on the city of Kazan, located roughly 620 miles from the frontlines of the ongoing conflict. The attack, which Russia described as “massive,” targeted a luxury apartment building, causing fireballs and damage but no reported casualties.
The drone strike on Kazan occurred on Saturday, marking a significant escalation in the nearly three-year war. Videos circulating on Russian social media showed drones striking a glass high-rise, triggering explosions and setting parts of the building ablaze.
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Although Ukraine has not commented on the incident, it follows a pattern of increasing aerial attacks deep into Russian territory.
In a televised government meeting on Sunday, Putin issued a stark warning: “Whoever, and however much they try to destroy, they will face many times more destruction themselves and will regret what they are trying to do in our country,” he said.
Putin’s remarks were directed at the regional leader of Tatarstan, where Kazan is located, during a video linked road-opening ceremony.
The drone attack comes as Russia reports significant battlefield gains in eastern Ukraine. The Russian defense ministry claimed its forces had “liberated” the villages of Lozova in the Kharkiv region and Krasnoye (known as Sontsivka in Ukraine), near the resource hub of Kurakhove.
Kurakhove is a strategic target in Russia’s effort to capture the entire Donetsk region, and its encirclement would represent a significant victory for Moscow.
Russia’s military stated that it had seized over 190 Ukrainian settlements this year, with Ukraine struggling against manpower and ammunition shortages.
Russia has escalated strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in recent weeks, framing them as retaliatory responses to Ukrainian attacks on Russian air bases and arms factories.
Putin has previously warned of targeting central Kyiv with hypersonic ballistic missiles in response to attacks on Russian territory, heightening fears of further escalation.
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The latest developments come as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. Trump has promised to bring a swift end to the conflict but has yet to outline concrete terms for a ceasefire or peace deal.
The ongoing war, now nearing its third year, has led to widespread devastation and a deepening humanitarian crisis, with no clear resolution in sight. As the conflict intensifies, the international community watches closely, bracing for the potential fallout from the latest round of hostilities.
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