Opening shots of '40 day assault' on Russia as Putin suspected of Baltic plots

Opening shots of '40 day assault' on Russia as Putin suspected of Baltic plots Desperate Russian leader Vladimir Putin suspected sabotage plots as Kyiv's Zelensky starts a 40 day campaign to cripple Russia's ability to continue wage war on Ukraine's civilians Ukraine launched one its largest-scale attacks across several Russian regions including Moscow and occupied Crimea in a major blow to President Vladimir Putin. The overnight bombardment was the opening salvo of “40 days” of intense warfare on Russia ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky in a bid to force Russia to end its war on Ukraine. And it happened amid growing reports that the Kremlin may be planning an attack on one of the Baltic States or Poland as punishment for backing Ukraine in the war. Ukraine’s neighbour and ally of Russia Belarus is also believed to militarising its border, with troops and camps as Putin pressurises it to back his stalled invasion. Hours before the latest attack launched Zelensky said: “I approved a 40-day operation to influence the aggressor state in order to press for an end to the war.” Last night and into today as many as 660 Ukrainian attack drones were unleashed on Russia, several targeting a chemical plant in the Tula region and a number of other military sites. It is believed the attack - soon after a warning from President Volodymyr Zelensky that he would take the war to Russia- counts as one of Ukraine’s biggest deep-strikes so far. For the second time in a week large plumes of black smoke hung over the Russian capital amid warnings Putin could soon order attacks on NATO countries. The Azot chemical plant in Tula is one of Russia’s largest chemical firms, producing mineral fertilizers, ammonia, nitric acid, methanol, and other industrial chemicals. It is believed to be linked the facility to Russia’s defence manufacturing industry as one of its products is used to make explosives and ammunition. Locals reported hearing explosions and drones overhead for several hours and a lingering smell of ammonia, accompanied by power outages. Explosions were also reported overnight in Russian-occupied Crimea and blasts were heard near the Kerch ferry crossing, while residents reported the smell of smoke and burning. The Kerch area is one of Russia’s most important military logistics hubs, a critical link between occupied Crimea and mainland Russia. President Zelensky confirmed his forces had attacked two more Russian oil refineries in Ufa, more than 1,000 miles from the frontline. And an oil depot in the Krasnodar region, 250 miles from Ukraine, was also hit in the latest blow to Russian infrastructure. The latest assault by Ukraine on Russia happened as Eastern European intelligence agencies believe Putin may be plotting an attack on Poland or one of the Baltic States over their support for Kyiv’s military. This week Latvian intelligence said: “We see indications that Russia is preparing military provocations against the Baltic countries or Poland.” It is unlikely Russia would launch a large-scale attack but would prefer a terrorist-style incident which it could deny or unleash a single missile at a country. Putin is becoming increasingly frustrated with the way his troops are stalling in eastern Ukraine as more attacks from Ukraine are hitting Russian infrastructure. Since the invasion of Ukraine there have been incidents of Russian sabotage, including the planting of firebombs in DHL parcels in the UK, Poland and Germany in the summer of 2024. Last September, 19 Russian decoy drones crossed into Polish airspace, prompting NATO to scramble jets to try to shoot them down. But Ukraine has developed a deep strike drone and missile attack ability to hit targets over 1,500 miles inside Russia.