President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that Russia will strike new targets if the United States started supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles, according to TASS news agency.
In an interview on the Rossiya-1 state television channel, Vladimir Putin said: "We will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting".
Putin did not name the targets Russia intended to pursue, if Western countries began supplying Ukraine with longer-range missiles.
Ukraine has been seeking Multiple Rocket Launch Systems (MLRS) - such as the M270 and M142 HIMARS to strike troops and weapons stockpiles at the Russian forces' rear.
US President Joe Biden announced plans this week to give Ukraine precision HIMARS rocket systems after receiving
assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside Russia.
Although Russian officials have warned that the US decision to supply Ukraine with advanced rocket systems could exacerbate the conflict, Putin said it would not bring on any fundamental changes on the battlefield.
He said: "We understand that this supply (of advance rocket systems) from the United States and some other countries is meant to make up for the losses of this military equipment.
"This is nothing new," he said. "It doesn't change anything in essence."
This morning Kyiv was rocked by a number of large explosions, as Russia ramps up its attacks, with witnesses claiming they saw smoke rising from area's of the capital.
Mayor and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram: "Several explosions in Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts of the capital.
"Services are already working on site."
At least one person was hospitalised as a result of the attack, with no fatalities yet reported.
It was said to have been on the war-torn nation's rail network, possibly to disrupt Ukraine's ability to send urgent supplies such as munition, food and water to areas of fierce fighting.
In recent days the Kremlin's soldiers have been focused on areas in the south and east of the country, with an intense battle reported in Sievierodonetsk which nearly fell to the Russians before Ukraine's forces fought back.
