Russia's Defence Ministry issued a warning on Friday, 15 April, saying that the country's missile strikes on Kyiv would increase in response to alleged attacks by Ukraine on Russian soil.
"The number and scale of missile strikes on targets in Kyiv will increase in response to any terrorist attacks or acts of sabotage on Russian territory committed by the Kyiv nationalist regime," Reuters reported the ministry's statement as saying.
It further added that the Russia's armed forces had attacked a military target in Ukraine's capital late on Thursday with cruise missiles.
Loud explosions could be heard in Kyiv on Friday, appearing to be the most severe offensive launched by Russia since its military withdrew troops from the region earlier in April.
The ministry said that it had struck the Vizar factory located at the edge of Kyiv, where, Moscow alleges, missiles were manufactured and repaired.
Flexing its muscles further, Moscow stated that it had destroyed an Mi-8 Ukrainian helicopter in the Bryansk region of Russia on Thursday, as well as a Sukhoi-27 plane.
The defence statement added that Russian troops had also terminated around 30 Polish mercenaries.
(With inputs from Reuters.)
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