Today, Saturday, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that British long-range and short-range American missiles had been intercepted, at which time Kiev officially asked Germany to supply “Taurus” missiles.

Its forces again intercepted two long-range “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles supplied by Britain to Ukraine, the Russian news agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry.

The ministry also claimed to have shot down 19 short-range U.S.-made Himars and Harm missiles in the past 24 hours, according to the agency.

On the 15th of this month, Moscow announced that it had shot down for the first time a “Storm Shadow” missile that Ukraine received from Britain and used to attack industrial sites in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk.

Taurus missiles

In a related context, Ukraine has officially asked the German government to provide Taurus surface-to-surface cruise missiles with a range of at least 500 kilometers, according to the German Defense Ministry.

“We have received a request from the Ukrainian side in the past few days,” a ministry spokesman said without elaborating.

Berlin’s government has significantly increased its military supplies to Kiev in recent months, but has been reluctant to supply it with cruise missiles or help support the Ukrainian air force with F-16 fighter jets.

“Taurus” is an air-to-ground cruise missile that is carried on fighter jets, developed by the German-Swedish company of the same name. Its range allows it to strike targets far from the current front line in eastern Ukraine.

The developments come as Kiev has been preparing for months for a counteroffensive to drive Russian forces out of territory it has occupied in Ukraine.

In the south, Russian media said air defenses encountered hostile targets in the airspace of the coastal city of Mariupol, which Moscow has controlled since the start of the war a year ago.

Ukrainian reports

In a statement to Al-Jazeera, Yuri Zak, an adviser to the Ukrainian defense minister, said “the attacks on Russian territory are not part of our counterattack, but are being carried out by Russian citizens.” The western parts of the city of Pakmut.”

“Thousands of our soldiers are undergoing military training in allied countries, and we are preparing to liberate our land,” said the Ukrainian adviser, adding, “The Ukrainian counteroffensive has already begun and continues, and we are preparing for the next stages.”

Pipe bombing

On the ground, a local Russian official said two drones had damaged a building in the Pskov region in the west of the country, in a new development that comes amid attacks on Russian territory in the past few days.

“Early in the morning, an explosion damaged the pipeline administration building near Litvinovo in Nevelsky district,” said Governor Mikhail Vedernikov.

According to unconfirmed information published by the Russian news agency “Basa” on Telegram, citing intelligence sources, the two drones targeted the “Transneft” oil pumping station in Pisco.

The same agency said a drone strike also targeted another oil facility in the Tver region, northwest of Moscow.

For its part, the regional government spoke in a statement about a “drone falling” near the village of Erokino, without causing any injuries and giving no further details about the circumstances of the crash.

Sanctions on Russia and Belarus

On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on 51 individuals and 220 companies related to the transport, communications and industrial sectors in Russia and Belarus. The order in this regard has been published on the official website of the President.

Companies covered by the new sanctions include telecommunications companies, a railway, an experimental mining plant, the State Research Institute of Chemical Products and a car factory.

Sanction measures include banning entry into Ukrainian territory or issuing visas, canceling official visits, and preventing the fulfillment of economic and financial obligations.

Last April, the Ukrainian president imposed sanctions on 438 individuals and 254 companies from Russia and Belarus.

Among those targeted by the sanctions are Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s daughter Ksenia, Belarusian Sports and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk and Russian Olympic champion Svetlana Gorkina.