Putin threatens to turn Kyiv into 'lakes' with Oreshnik strike, says Trump can 'find a solution'

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Kyiv with Oreshnik missiles if Ukraine continues to remain aggressive. The intermediate-range Russian weapon was used in the city of Dnipro last week, stirring a major storm across the world.

The warning from Putin came during his press conference in Kazakhstan on Thursday. “We do not rule out the use of Oreshnik against the military, military-industrial facilities or decision-making centres, including in Kyiv,” the Russian leader said in a statement. He went on to state that the weapon was “comparable in strength to a nuclear strike” if used several times in one location, The Guardian reported.

“The kinetic impact is powerful, like a meteorite falling,” Putin said. “We know in history what meteorites have fallen where, and what the consequences were. Sometimes it was enough for whole lakes to form.” Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed his Russian counterpart and accused him of “despicable escalation” of the ongoing conflict.

Putin prepares for Trump’s presidency

During the press conference, the Russian leader lauded President-elect Donald Trump, calling him “intelligent”. Many believed that Putin’s comments were designed to make a positive impression on the president-elect and Russia is looking at winning Trump’s favour after he assumes power next year.

He also expressed his shock over the multiple assassination attempts on him. “In my opinion, he is not safe now,” Putin said. “Unfortunately, in the history of the United States, various incidents have happened. I think he [Trump] is intelligent and I hope he’s cautious and understands this.”

During the press briefing, Putin suggested that US President Joe Biden’s decision to allow the use of long-range weapons could either be a ploy to help Trump by giving him a future bargaining chip or an attempt to make Trump’s relations with Russia more difficult. Either way, he claimed that Trump would “find the solution” to the Ukraine war, insisting that Moscow is ready for a dialogue.

Russia leaves Ukraine in disarray

On Thursday morning, Russia targeted Ukraine with missiles and drones, focusing on the country’s energy infrastructure. The attack left more than 1 million households without power. This is not the first time Moscow has attacked Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.

About half of Ukraine’s energy capacity has been destroyed in the last three years, and recently Ukrainian officials warned that Russia may be stockpiling missiles in order to launch coordinated strikes on the power infrastructure and make winter miserable for millions, The Guardian reported.

Meanwhile, Biden condemned the Thursday attack, reiterating his administration’s support for Ukraine. “This attack is outrageous and serves as yet another reminder of the urgency and importance of supporting the Ukrainian people in their defence against Russian aggression,” Biden said.

“On this day, my message to the Ukrainian people is clear: the United States stands with you,” added Biden, who has tried to shore up US support for Ukraine in his final weeks in the White House. However, Ukraine is currently bracing itself for the upcoming Trump administration.

On Wednesday, Trump named the retired army general Keith Kellogg as his envoy for Russia and Ukraine. While the 80-year-old retired general has not espoused the pro-Russia rhetoric common to some in Trump’s orbit, he has previously talked about a plan to leverage military aid by increasing it while pushing for peace talks.

“If Ukraine doesn’t want to negotiate, fine, but then accept the fact that you can have enormous losses in your cities and accept the fact that you will have your children killed, accept the fact that you don’t have 130,000 dead, you will have 230,000 [to] 250,000,” Kellogg told Voice of America at the Republican party convention in July.

With inputs from agencies.