Russia strikes Kyiv, Putin warns about long-range weapons

STORY: Russian missiles rocked Kyiv on Sunday, sending clouds of smoke wafting over the Ukrainian capital for the first time in more than a month.

Ukraine said the strike hit a railway repair site; Moscow claimed it destroyed tanks sent by European countries.

The attack comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that if the U.S. were to supply Ukraine with longer-ranged missiles and artillery, Russia would respond by striking new targets.

Ukraine said Russia had carried out the strike on Kyiv using long-range missiles fired from bomber aircraft.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak tweeted, "the Kremlin resorts to new insidious attacks. Today's missile strikes at Kyiv have only one goal - kill as many as possible.

The strike on the capital comes as Russia has been concentrating its firepower in a vicious battle for the eastern Donbas region.

Russian forces have been trying to seize the city of Sievierodonetsk.

After retreating steadily in the city in recent weeks, a regional governor said Ukrainian troops mounted a surprise counter-attack, retaking half of it and continued to push the Russians back.

Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Both sides say they have inflicted huge casualties in the fight for Sievierodonetsk, a battle that could determine the shape of the next phase of what is likely to be a protracted war of attrition.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been begging the U.S. and NATO countries for weapons to help hold off the Russian invasion, which Moscow calls a "special military operation."

"We are not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia."

President Joe Biden last week said Washington would supply Ukraine with advanced rocket systems after receiving assurances the weapons would not be used against targets in Russia.