Russian airstrikes on Ukraine revenge for Kyiv’s use of US missiles, says Putin

Putin further id that Russia may use its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile to attack "decision-making centres" in Kyiv

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that a massive Russian overnight attack on Ukrainian infrastructure was a response to Kyiv's attacks on Russian regions using longer-range Western missiles.

Ukrainian officials said that Russia had unleashed its second big attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure this month on Thursday, cutting power to more than 1 million people in the west, south, and centre of the country.

Speaking in Astana, Kazakhstan, Putin told members of a security alliance made up of ex-Soviet states:

"Tonight we conducted a comprehensive strike using 90 missiles of similar classes and 100 drones. Seventeen targets were hit.

"These are military facilities, defence industry facilities and their support systems. Let me repeat once again: these strikes on our part also took place in response to the ongoing strikes (by Ukraine) on Russian territory with American ATACMS missiles. As I have already said many times, there will always be a response from our side."

President Vladimir Putin further stated that Russia may use its new Oreshnik hypersonic missile to attack "decision-making centres" in Kyiv in response to Ukraine's firing of Western missiles at Russian territory.

Russia has not so far struck Ukrainian government ministries, parliament or the president's office in the course of the 33-month war.

Kyiv is heavily protected by air defences, but Putin says the Oreshnik, which Russia fired for the first time at a Ukrainian city last week, is incapable of being intercepted - a claim greeted with scepticism by Western experts.

"Of course, we will respond to the ongoing strikes on Russian territory with long-range Western-made missiles, as has already been said, including by possibly continuing to test the Oreshnik in combat conditions, as was done on November 21," Putin told leaders of a security alliance of ex-Soviet countries at a summit in Kazakhstan.

"At present, the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff are selecting targets to hit on Ukrainian territory. These could be military facilities, defence and industrial enterprises, or decision-making centres in Kyiv," he said.