Defence Ministry: Russia strikes retaliatory blow on Ukraine

On March 9, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive retaliatory strike on the military infrastructure of Ukraine in response to the terrorist attacks that a group of Ukrainian saboteurs committed in the Bryansk region of Russia, an official spokesman for Russian Defence Ministry Igor Konashenkov said.

"High-precision long-range air, sea and land-based weapons, including the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system, struck key elements of Ukraine's military infrastructure, military-industrial complex enterprises, as well as energy facilities that provide them," he said.

The purpose of the strike was achieved, all the designated targets were destroyed, Konashenkov noted.

In the attack, the Russian forces also destroyed bases of Ukrainian strike drones, disrupted the rail transportation of reserves and foreign weapons and annihilated facilities for repairs of military equipment and production of ammunition.

In the Donetsk direction, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed more than 135 Ukrainian servicemen, three armoured combat vehicles, three pickup trucks, four cars, two D-20 howitzers, a Msta-B howitzer, and a D-1 howitzer.