PUTIN: RUSSIAN MISSILES STRIKES AGAINST UKRAINE A “RESPONSE” TO ATTACK ON BLACK SEA FLEET

Tue 01 November 2022:

A drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea over the weekend prompted missile strikes over Ukrainian infrastructure, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At a news conference on Monday in Sochi, Putin promised additional action. According to Reuters news agency, he said during a televised news conference, “That’s not all we could have done.”

Open-source intelligence community GeoConfirmed established that drones hit at least three ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, including the flagship, Admiral Makarov. There is no official confirmation that any Russian ships were sunk.

On Monday, Russia fired a barrage of missiles at Ukraine, hitting key infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other cities.

There were 55 cruise missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the majority of which were shot down by Ukrainian forces.

After the attacks, more than 80 per cent of the residents in Kyiv and other regions were left without power and water supplies “due to the damage to a power facility”.

Northeastern Kharkiv’s Governor Oleh Synehubov said on Telegram that about 140,000 residents were without power after the attacks, including about 50,000 residents of Kharkiv city, the second largest city in Ukraine.

The head of the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, said earlier that Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure had been planned weeks earlier, and that Moscow is “using winter as a weapon.”

‘Not suspending grain deal’

Putin clarified Russia has not ended participation in the export of Ukrainian grain deal through Black Sea ports, rather they are suspending it.

“We are not saying that we are ceasing our participation in this operation. No, we are saying that we are suspending it,” Putin told the news conference.

He claimed Ukrainian forces were sending their drones in the same route that grain ships were using.

“And thus, they created a threat both to our ships, which must ensure the safety of grain exports, and to the civilian ships that are engaged in this,” he said.

“Ukraine must guarantee that there will be no threats to civilian vessels or to Russian supply vessels,” Putin added.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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