Ukraine-Russia warfare newest: Putin threatens Kyiv ‘decision-makers’ with new missile as capital hit by blackout

Fragments from downed Russian drones struck buildings in two Kyiv districts and injured one person late last night, officials said.

Emergency services showed pictures of rubble strewn about inside and outside a pediatric clinic in the city’s Dniprovskyi district on the east bank of the Dnipro River.

A security guard at the facility was taken to hospital. Adjacent buildings also suffered damage.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said drone fragments had struck an infrastructure site in the Sviatoshynskyi district on the west bank of the river.

An air raid alert remained in effect in the capital more than an hour after it was declared.

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would use all weapons at its disposal against Ukraine if Kyiv were to acquire nuclear arms.

The New York Times reported last week that some unidentified Western officials had suggested US President Joe Biden could give Ukraine nuclear weapons before he leaves office.

“If the country which we are essentially at war with now becomes a nuclear power, what do we do? In this case, we will use all, I want to emphasize this, precisely all means of destruction available to Russia. Everything: we will not allow it. We’ll be watching their every move”, Putin said during a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan.

“If officially someone were to transfer something, then that would mean a violation of all the non-proliferation commitments they have made,” Putin said.

Putin also said it was practically impossible for Ukraine to produce a nuclear weapon, but that it might be able to make some kind of “dirty bomb”, a conventional bomb laced with radioactive material in order to spread contamination. In that case, Russia would respond appropriately, he said.

Russia has repeatedly said, without providing evidence, that Ukraine might use such a device.

Explosions were heard across the country as damage to the energy and other critical infrastructure was reported by officials in cities in the west, south and centre of the country.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used cruise missiles with cluster munitions in Thursday’s attack, calling it a “vile escalation”.

“Energy infrastructure is once again targeted by the enemy’s massive strike,” Ukrainian energy minister Herman Halushchenko said on Facebook.

Russia’s overnight aerial attack against Ukraine on Wednesday is “outrageous”, Joe Biden has said, calling it a reminder of the urgency and importance of supporting the Ukrainian people.

“Russia continues to underestimate the bravery, resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people. The United States stands with more than 50 countries in support of Ukraine and its fight for freedom,” Mr Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

Russia unleashed its second big attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure this month, triggering deep power cuts across the country yesterday.

President Vladimir Putin said Moscow had struck in response to Ukraine’s strikes on Russian territory with US medium-range ATACMS missiles. He said Russia’s future targets could include “decision-making centres” in Kyiv

Ukraine is asking its allies to speed up deliveries of military aid, saying quicker delivery of critical battlefield equipment was more important than drafting more men.

“We are now in the situation when we need more equipment to arm all the people that have already been mobilised, and we think the first priority is to send quicker, faster military aid,” Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, told reporters in Kyiv.

His statement echoed a comment from Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn, who criticised what he said was sluggish military aid. “Ukraine cannot be expected to compensate for delays in logistics or hesitation in support with the youth of our men on the frontline,” Mr Lytvyn wrote on X.

A senior US official said earlier that Ukraine was not mobilising enough new soldiers to replace those lost on the battlefield, and urged Kyiv to reduce the mobilisation age from 25 to 18.

Russian president Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump as an experienced and intelligent politician and questioned whether he was safe after attempts on his life.

Speaking to reporters after a summit in Kazakhstan, Mr Putin said he had also been shocked by how Mr Trump’s family and children had been criticised by political opponents during the US election campaign.

“In my opinion, he is not safe now,” Mr Putin said. “Unfortunately, in the history of the United States, various incidents have happened. I think he [Trump] is intelligent and I hope he’s cautious and understands this,” he said.

Russian air defences downed 30 Ukrainian drones in the southern Rostov region early this morning, regional governor Yuri Slyusar said.

Some private homes in two villages had sustained some damage, but there were no casualties, Mr Slyusar said on his Telegram channel.