Russia may have used a new type of bomb in deadly strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
At least one person was killed and four children, including a three-month-old baby, were among 19 wounded in the attack that targeted a residential area.
The strikes were believed to involve the UMPB D-30, a cruise missile based on the Soviet-era FAB-250 aerial bomb, with added glide wings, a turbo jet, and a navigation system.
Regional police chief Volodymyr Tymoshko called it “a flying bomb”.
Oleh Synehubov, Kharkiv regional governor, said: “It seems the Russians decided to test their modified bombs on the residents of the houses.”
It came as Vladimir Putin threatened missile strikes on Nato airfields if they were ever used by Ukraine as bases for its F-16 supersonic fighters.
The Russian despot also vowed attacks if warplanes provided by the West carried nuclear weapons, something that has never been suggested.
In a televised and often contradictory rant while visiting pilots at Torzhok in western Russia, he then appeared to pull back.
He described as “complete nonsense” fears that Russia would ever attack Nato states in eastern Europe and the Baltics. Putin said such claims were a way to “extract additional costs from people”.
But he again stoked up his sabre-rattling by ordering nuclear war-games in Siberia involving 300 pieces of military equipment and his mobile Yars strategic missile systems.
- Russia yesterday vetoed a UN resolution effectively abolishing the monitoring of sanctions against North Korea, sparking claims it was acting to shield its weapons purchases from North Korea for use in its war against Ukraine, in violation of sanctions.
