TRANSCRIPT
At least 13 people have been injured as Ukrainian drones struck a large military depot deep inside Russia.
The strikes in Toropets, 380 kilometres northwest of Moscow, and 500 kilometres from Ukraine's border with Russia, has caused a massive fire, forcing some residents to evacuate.
Seismic sensors were triggered by the earthquake-sized blast that destroyed a warehouse containing a major arsenal of conventional weapons.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his gratitude to those involved in the attack.
"First of all, today, I want to thank our warriors who ensure our Ukrainian long-range capability. There is a significant outcome from last night on the territory of Russia, and this is the type of action that weakens the enemy. I thank all those involved. Such inspiring precision. Our special services: the Security Service, the Defence Intelligence, the Special Operations Forces – thank you."
This comes as Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced his country is re-equipping parts of the military with high-precision armaments.
"We are implementing a program of comprehensive re-equipment of the army and navy, which means that the troops will receive not individual, but serial samples of modern high-precision weapons and armoured vehicles, aviation, enemy detection and counter-battery systems, control and communication systems. And, of course, unmanned aircraft systems of various types from strategic and heavy to small and ultra-small. And these are reconnaissance aircraft, strike systems, patrol counter-battery systems, sappers, miners and fighters."
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has [[18 September]] called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg's remarks dangerous, after he said allowing Ukraine to use Western long-range weapons against Russia would not cross a so-called red line, or limit, for Moscow.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has been urging allies for months to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles, including U-S ATACMS [[Army Tactile Missile Systems]] and British Storm Shadows, to strike Russia and reduce its ability to attack.
In an interview with The Times newspaper, Mr Stoltenberg dismissed Russian President Putin's warning that such actions would mean the West was directly at war with Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Mr Stoltenberg's remarks are dangerous.
"This ostentatious desire not to take seriously the statements by the Russian President (Vladimir Putin) is a move that is completely short-sighted and unprofessional. ... I am inclined to tie it with the departing personality of Mr. (Jens) Stoltenberg,. It is clear that in a very short while he will not bear any responsibility for whatever he would say, but his stance (on Ukraine potentially striking Russian territory with West-supplied missiles) is provocative and dangerous."
Senior Russian politicians and foreign policy experts have suggested that Russia could respond with nuclear weapons, should Mr Putin's warning be ignored.
Meanwhile, a former Ukrainian soldier says the suspect in the attempted assassination of U-S presidential candidate Donald Trump was viewed as a liability by some soldiers and volunteers in Ukraine.
58 year-old Ryan Routh was arrested around 40 minutes after the incident at Mr Trump’s Florida golf course.
He had publicly supported Ukraine and spent time in Kyiv following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The former soldier identified as Evelyn Aschenbrenner [[ASHEN-BRENNER]] claims she met Routh.
"He was delusional. He had this idea that, you know, the old, like, he had this idea that he was the only one who knew how to help Ukraine. He was the only one who knew what to do. And if you didn't listen to him and do exactly what he wanted, or follow his crazy ideas, then you didn't want to help Ukraine, then you just wanted Russia to win."
Ms Aschenbrenner says Routh offered to recruit Afghans for the Ukrainian military.
"He sends me a list of, it was several thousand, like, five or six thousand Afghani citizens. He gave me their names, first and last, contact emails, phone numbers, passport numbers, if they had. He's like, well, here are soldiers, if you want them, you're welcome. Like, they can't legally enter Europe, and you're not a recruiter. You have nothing to do with the army. You can't, you have no (authority), why are you doing this? What are you telling these poor people? And, like, at this point, like every Ukrainian officer or commander who knew Ryan was like, what does this American want with us? Why can't he just go home?"
