The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today, Thursday, that its forces executed an "intensive retaliatory strike" on Ukrainian infrastructure following what it described as a terrorist attack in the Bryansk region of Russia bordering Ukraine last week. For its part, Ukraine confirmed that six civilians were killed in the first large barrage of Russian missile attacks since mid-February.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated in a statement that it targeted Ukrainian defense companies and "other military infrastructure" with a range of weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. It added that it destroyed targets including drone bases and munitions production sites and disrupted the transportation of foreign weapon supplies through Ukraine using railways. The accuracy of these claims could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that infrastructure and residential buildings were hit in ten regions, stating in a message, "The occupiers can only terrorize civilians." The Russian Defense Ministry explained that the strikes were in response to what Moscow described as a terrorist attack in Bryansk last week when a group calling itself the Russian Volunteer Corps launched an assault from Ukraine. According to Russia, civilians were killed in the incident, which Ukraine alleges was a "false provocation" orchestrated by Moscow.
Throughout the ongoing year-long invasion, Russia has conducted "retaliatory" strikes after incidents for which it blamed Ukraine, including an explosion in October that severely damaged a bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine.
