Putin says he'll target Kyiv 'decision-making centres'

Vladimir Putin has threatened to strike Kyiv with Moscow’s new ballistic missile – in the wake of his forces conducting a “massive” aerial assault on energy infrastructure across Ukraine.

- JABED AHMED

The Russian president claimed future targets could include “decision-making centres” in the Ukrainian capital, as he said the latest strikes by almost 200 drones and missiles were in response to Ukraine using long-range US- and UK-supplied missiles against Russia.

Given that Moscow has repeatedly struck Ukraine’s energy sector during its almost three-year invasion – and that this was the second large attack in a month – Putin’s remarks have little credibility.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of a “despicable escalation”, saying it had used cruise missiles with cluster munitions in its early morning strikes. More than 1 million people lost power in the immediate aftermath of the strikes, and millions more had their existing schedule of rolling power cuts intensified.