Free Republic

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged retaliation after Ukrainian drones struck residential buildings in the city of Kazan in Russia’s Tatarstan region. Putin made the comments via videolink on Sunday while addressing the local leader of Tatarstan in a road-opening ceremony. “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,” Putin said. -snip- Kazan is more than 1,000km (600 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Vladimir Putin has promised ‘further destruction’ of Ukraine after a Russian oil field was destroyed by a ‘massive’ drone strike overnight. Video footage of the strike shows the oil field erupting in an enormous explosion after the drone attack, lighting up the sky with apocalyptic yellow and orange as Russian air defences seek to defend the strategic depot. The Steel Horse facility supplies Vladimir Putin’s armed forces in Ukraine, and links to the Druzhba pipeline which sends Russian oil to Europe.

Russia will launch the serial production of its new powerful Oreshnik missiles in the "near future," Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday. "In the near future, serial production of such systems should be ensured to protect the security of Russia and our allies," said Putin in a speech at the Russian Defense Ministry's final board meeting of the year on Monday, which was publicly broadcast. -snip- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said last week that he had asked Putin to provide him with the new missiles, and Russia agreed to supply Oreshniks "for free."