Putin Vows Escalation in Ukraine After Drone Strike on Russian Skyscraper
MOSCOW, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to bring more destruction to Ukraine in retaliation for a massive drone strike targeting a skyscraper in Kazan, an incident he likened to the 9/11 attacks in the U.S.
A luxury high-rise apartment block in Kazan, around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was hit by one of the drones, igniting a blaze but causing no reported casualties. Video footage circulating on Russian social media showed a drone striking the glass tower and causing an explosion.
In a government meeting broadcast on TV on Sunday, Putin warned, "Whoever tries to destroy us will only provoke their own demise and regret what they have done against our country."
Putin delivered his message to local Tatarstan officials, where Kazan is located, during an online road-opening ceremony. The attack is the latest in a series of escalating air strikes that have marked the almost three-year conflict.
Ukraine has not yet commented on the large-scale drone strikes. Previously, Putin had threatened to target Kyiv’s city center with hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missiles in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territories.
