New Delhi: Hours after Pentagon claimed that Ukraine attacked the Russian missile cruiser Moskva that sunk after being hit with anti-ship missiles, Moscow strikes pounded a military factory near Kyiv that makes the missiles Ukraine claims it used in destroying Russia's warship.
A workshop and an administrative building at the Vizar plant, which lies near Kyiv's international Zhuliany airport, were seriously damaged in the overnight strikes, news agency AFP reported.
Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry promised to ramp up missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital in response to Ukraine's alleged aggression on Russian territory.
Russian authorities have accused Ukraine of wounding seven people and damaging about 100 residential buildings with airstrikes on Bryansk, a region bordering Ukraine.
"They are making us pay for destroying the Moskva," an owner of a nearby wood workshop told AFP. It was the first major Russian strike around the Ukrainian capital in over two weeks.
The Moskva had been leading Russia's naval effort in the seven-week conflict. Reportedly there was around 500 crew on the warship and reports of its sinking has fumed Russia.
The number and the scale of missile attacks on objects in Kyiv will be ramped up in response to the Kyiv nationalist regime committing any terrorist attacks or diversions on the Russian territory, news agency AP quoted Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov as saying.
According to reports, the Moskva had the capacity to carry 16 long-range cruise missiles. If claims are believed to be true, Ukrainian forces took out the vessel, it was likely the largest warship to be sunk in combat since the Falklands War.
"While being towed to the port destination, due to hull damage caused by ammunition detonation sparked by fire, the cruiser Moskva lost stability. In the stormy sea conditions, the ship sank," news agency IANS quoted a Russian Defence Ministry as saying.
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and has suffered thousands of military casualties. The conflict has killed untold numbers of Ukrainian civilians and forced millions more to flee.
(With inputs from agencies.)