The Moscow administration announced that they would respond to any Ukrainian attack on Russian territory by launching more missile attacks on the capital, Kiev.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that “the number and size” of attacks would increase if settlements were targeted.
The warning came after Russia announced a missile attack on a military factory near Kyiv. It was alleged that the attack was carried out in retaliation for the attack of Ukrainian helicopters on a Russian village.
Ukraine, on the other hand, argues that no such attack was carried out.
“Tonight, high-accuracy long-range ‘Kalibr’ missiles launched from the sea to land hit a military facility outside of Kiev,” Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashkenov said.
Konashkanev said the attack targeted the Vizar military facility, which manufactures and repairs anti-aircraft and anti-ship missile systems. The spokesperson also warned that missile attacks on Kiev would intensify if Ukraine continues to attack Russian territory.
“As a response to the terrorist and sabotage attacks of the nationalist regime in Kiev on Russian territory, attacks on targets in Kiev will increase,” Konashkanev said.
Andrey Sizov, 47, who owns a carpentry shop next to the factory, told AFP the explosion happened at night.
The eyewitness said, “My security guard called at 1.30 am and said there was an airstrike. Five points were hit. My employee was in the office and was thrown away by the explosion.”
Russian authorities accused Ukraine of sending two helicopters to the village of Klimova, in the Bryansk region, within 10 kilometers of Russian territory, hitting a building and injuring eight people.
Kyiv denies carrying out such an attack and argues that such an event was staged to feed “anti-Ukrainian hysteria”.
The BBC could not verify these claims from independent sources.
Other developments:
Russian forces began withdrawing from areas around the capital, Kiev, in March, to focus on capturing areas in eastern Ukraine. But Kyiv is still vulnerable to missile attacks.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not mention the sinking of the Moscow ship in its statement.
The factory targeted in the missile attack produces missiles similar to the anti-ship Neptune missiles that Ukraine claims were used to sink the ship.
Russia, on the other hand, offers a different explanation for the sinking of the ship. Authorities claim that, for an unexplained reason, the fire on the ship caused the arsenal to explode and the ship “lost its balance” as it was towed into port with trailers.
How the ship sank is still not confirmed by independent sources.