Moscow, May 30 (QNA) - The Russian armed forces carried out a large-scale strike using precision amphibious, naval, and offensive UAVs on energy and transportation infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

This move marks a new escalation of the ongoing war between the two countries since 2022.

The statement added that military airstrips were also targeted in retaliation for the Ukrainian offensives on civilian targets in Russia. It emphasized that Russian kinetic operations conducted by fighter jets and UAVs, alongside artillery and missile forces, pounded the temporary deployment emplacements of the Ukrainian armed formations in 148 zones.

The Russian troops augmented their military posture in areas under their control on the combat fronts, the statement reads, highlighting that the Ukrainian troops incurred human casualties and lost combat vehicles and materiel.

According to the statement, Russian air-defense systems knocked out 10 guided aerial bombs, one HIMARS rocket, and 352 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Last Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of the Russian armed forces' initiation of regular strikes on facilities operated by the Ukrainian armed forces in Kyiv and the relevant decision-making center.

Lavrov indicated that the move was based on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin in retaliation for the continued offensives Kyiv is launching against civilians and civilian facilities on Russian territory. (QNA)