The embattled Ukraine launched an overnight bombardment striking three Russian military production facilities including a metallurgical plant.
Knewz.com has learned that the attacks occurred during the evening hours of June 17 when plants in the Belgorod, Voronezh, and Lipetsk oblasts were targeted.
In a statement to the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s intelligence services, HUR, said “Both enterprises are used by the aggressor for military purposes. In the area of these facilities, local residents heard the sounds of explosions and air defense systems,” referring to a metallurgical plant and a local tractor plant struck in the attack.
Russia also weighed in with its version of the assault. The governor of Lipetsk, Igor Artamonov, claimed debris from two drones fell to the ground after they were neutralized accounting for a marginal fraction of the projectiles hurled at Russian territory in the attack.
The attack came as the two-day peace summit in Switzerland drew to a halt. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the conference “first steps toward peace,” while noting that not all attending entities endorsed the pro-peace initiative.
In the final statement, per Ukraine’s UNN, Zelensky stated: “I believe that Putin is fighting exclusively for himself.”
“He realizes that he is isolated. He is not completely isolated, unfortunately, there are people who are still balancing, despite all the terrorism he has brought, and not only to our country.”
“There are many countries in the world. Africa and Syria. But there are people who are balancing, unfortunately. In my opinion, he [Vladimir Putin] is fighting exclusively for himself.”
Notably, the countries who refrained from adopting a stance on the war include Brazil, India, South Africa (members of the BRICS consortium to which Russia and China are a party), and Saudi Arabia.
China and Russia, although invited to attend, boycotted the convention.
Ukraine has recently received permission from President Joe Biden to use United States-donated weapons on Russian turf. The embattled country exploited its new avenue of attack less than 24 hours after the go-ahead was received and contributed to what Western media dubbed the “deadliest week” of Putin’s war.
Leading up to these permissions being granted, Putin and his henchmen made veiled threats of a fallout of international proportions.
Speaking during a visit to the former soviet state of Uzbekistan, the autocrat told the press “This constant escalation can lead to serious consequences.”
“Representatives of countries that are NATO members, particularly in Europe, should be aware of what they are playing with,” Putin said per a previous report by Knewz.com.
Just over a week after the warning, the news was leaked that Russia would be sending nuclear-capable maritime vessels to the Caribbean.
According to an unnamed White House official, this was merely Russia’s way of telegraphing its unhappiness with U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war.
Zelensky in the context of the latter, also noted: “As long as Ukraine is standing, the world has a chance to prevent a global war.”