Russia hit natural gas production facilities and a major missile factory in fresh missile strikes on vital infrastructure in Ukraine today, Ukrainian officials said.
Explosions were heard in many parts of the country, including the southern port of Odessa, the capital Kiev and the central city of Dnipro, and citizens were told to evacuate as airstrike warnings were issued.
local officials said two people were killed in an overnight rocket attack in the southeastern region of Zaporhizhzhia, three were wounded in an attack in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and three were wounded in Odesa.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks, unleashing some of the heaviest waves of missile attacks since the February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine has said its air defenses have shot down many of the missiles and drones launched in recent weeks. Kyiv city officials said two cruise missiles and four Iranian Shahed drones were destroyed near the city today.
There was no immediate news of casualties in the new wave of airstrikes.
“This morning, Russia launched another missile barrage of attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko.
“Putin wants to deprive millions of people of electricity and heating in the midst of glaciers. Send Ukraine more air and missile defense systems to prevent this tragedy. Delays cost lives,” he added.
Western Response”: Deport 400 Russian spies across Europe
Meanwhile, the expulsion of more than 400 suspected Russian spies from across Europe this year has dealt the “most significant strategic blow” against Moscow in recent history and caught Vladimir Putin by surprise, Britain’s domestic intelligence chief said.
In his annual threat briefing to Britain, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum also repeated warnings about Chinese efforts to influence lawmakers and those in public life, and Beijing’s efforts to monitor and harass the Chinese diaspora.
McCallum said a huge number of Russian officials were expelled from around the world, including more than 600 from Europe, of whom more than 400 were found to be spies.
“This has delivered the most significant strategic blow against Russian Intelligence in recent European history,” he said in a speech at MI5 headquarters in London on Wednesday.
He said the response followed a pattern set by Britain in the wake of the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, southern England, in 2018, which prompted a wave of diplomatic expulsions.
McCallum said Britain had refused more than 100 Russian diplomatic visa applications on national security grounds since then.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s strongest backers since the Russian invasion and McCallum said the importance of that support was reflected in Moscow making “stupid claims” such as Britain being involved in blowing up Nord gas pipelines. Stream in September.
Beijing’s “long game”
While Russian activity has come to the fore regarding Ukraine, British intelligence has identified China as Britain’s biggest long-term threat.
McCallum said Beijing is “playing the long game” in trying to manipulate opinion, cultivating contacts not only with prominent lawmakers but also with those early in their public careers, such as local councilors who may later become members of parliament. .
The spy chief also said that Chinese authorities are monitoring and intimidating the Chinese diaspora, with actions ranging from forcible repatriation to attack.
He referred to an incident last month in Manchester, northern England, when a man protesting outside a Chinese consulate said he was dragged inside by masked men and then kicked and punched.
China has dismissed such claims as baseless, accusing critics of fomenting controversy.
Meanwhile, terrorism remains a significant threat, with 37 plots foiled since 2017 and eight since last June, McCallum said. While Islamist militants remained the main problem, there was an increase in far-right extremists seeking firearms, including 3D-printed weapons.
