Russia reports downing 15 Ukrainian drones near border

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday it had destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones and eight missiles, while officials in Russian regions bordering Ukraine said a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and injured several others.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gradkov said preliminary information showed that a man in the car was killed in the attack and several others were injured.

Another drone hit a tree and the shock wave damaged two houses but caused no casualties, Gladkov said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it intercepted 12 drones over the Belgorod region and another three over the Kursk region in western Russia.

In Ukraine, Oleh Synehubov, the governor of the eastern Kharkiv region, reported a Russian missile attack.

Sinehupov said there were no reports of casualties as a result of the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened, and once again warned the United States that any U.S. troops in Ukraine would be seen as a major escalation of the conflict.

Putin said in an interview on state television that there was no need for Russia to use nuclear weapons during its two-year invasion of Ukraine and that he did not think the world was heading towards a nuclear confrontation. He described U.S. President Joe Biden as a veteran statesman who understands the dangers of nuclear war.

But Putin’s comments appeared to be part of his repeated message to the West that it intends to protect its territorial gains in Ukraine and is prepared to use nuclear weapons if “the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence” are threatened. “

“All of this is written in our strategy and we haven’t changed it,” he said.

Putin made an apparent reference to the NATO allies backing Kiev, declaring that “those countries that say they have no red lines against Russia should realize that Russia will not have any red lines against them either.”

But he also said that the United States “has enough experts in the field of Russian-American relations and strategic restraint. So I don’t think everything here is rushed.” [nuclear confrontation], but we are ready for it. “

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said: “Russia’s nuclear rhetoric is reckless and irresponsible in this conflict. It was Russia that brutally invaded Ukraine without provocation or reason, and we will Continue to support Ukraine in defending its people and sovereign territory against Russian aggression.”

A senior White House official said, “We understand that Mr. Putin has reaffirmed Russia’s nuclear doctrine that they will use nuclear weapons if their sovereignty is threatened, so this is not a new position for them. We have not seen any.” There are no reasons for adjusting its nuclear posture, and there are no signs that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. ”

Biden has repeatedly said the United States has no intention of sending U.S. troops to fight alongside Kiev’s forces, although French President Emmanuel Macron has recently not ruled out the possibility of Western troops joining the stalemate conflict that has yet to end.

However, Western countries continue to arm Ukraine, and the United States this week raised $300 million worth of ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles, artillery and “some anti-armor systems” from its military stockpiles in a new round of aid to support Ukraine. Help the Kyiv army. But a broader $60 billion aid package backed by Biden has stalled in Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening speech on Wednesday that defeating the Russian invasion “is a matter of the survival of democratic systems.”

“Ukraine is capable of defending itself if there is sufficient support,” Zelensky said. “Having defended ourselves, we can ensure that no other international criminal will be tempted by aggression like Putin. We can protect lives and must this way.”

On the battlefield, the Ukrainian military used drones to attack a Russian oil refinery on Wednesday, damaging a site in the Ryazan region.

Pavel Markov, the governor of the Ryazan region, said that according to initial reports, a local oil refinery was attacked, causing a fire and injuring many people.

Officials in the Leningrad region said Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian drone approaching an oil refinery without causing any damage.

The attacks were part of a wave of Ukrainian drones launched into Russian territory for the second day in a row.

Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region that borders Ukraine, said on Wednesday that air defense systems shot down more than 30 Ukrainian drones during the night.

VOA White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.Some information provided by AFP and Reuters