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President Putin Vows Harsh Response to Drone Attack on Kazan

Moscow, December 22, 2024 – The Europe Today: Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stern warning to those responsible for the recent drone attack on the city of Kazan, promising a strong retaliatory response.

“Whoever and no matter how hard they try to destroy something in Russia, they will face many times greater destruction in their own country and will regret their actions,” Putin stated on Sunday during a video conference on new transport infrastructure projects.

The December 21 attack targeted residential areas and a factory in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. According to local authorities, eight drone strikes were reported, including six on residential buildings, one on an industrial site, and another intercepted over a river. Despite significant damage, no casualties were reported.

The Russian Defense Ministry attributed the attack to Ukraine, stating that Kiev deployed three waves of fixed-wing drones against civilian infrastructure in Kazan. Russian air defenses intercepted three of the drones, while electronic warfare systems neutralized three others.

President Putin assured Tatarstan’s leader, Rustam Minnikhanov, that the region would recover quickly. “I am confident that the regional authorities will restore everything that was damaged by our enemies and adversaries,” he said.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, condemned the attack, labeling it a “terrorist act” and suggesting it was Kiev’s “revenge” for Kazan hosting the BRICS summit in October. She further described it as an attempt to intimidate one of Russia’s fastest-developing regions.

The incident underscores the growing threat of drone warfare, with drones from Ukraine being intercepted multiple times across Russia since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022. Kazan, located nearly 1,379 kilometers from Ukraine, marks a rare strike deep into Russian territory.