KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Thunderous blasts echoed in the capital, Kyiv, and in Ukraine’s eastern battle zone on Friday, a day after Russia’s most important warship in the Black Sea sank while being towed to port.
Russia’s defense ministry threatened the stepped-up missile attacks after its flagship missile cruiser Moskva went down Thursday following what Ukraine said was a missile strike and what Moscow claimed was an accidental fire aboard.
The capital had enjoyed a period of relative calm after Russian forces broke off an offensive in Ukraine’s north at the beginning of this month, although departing Russian troops left behind evidence of mass atrocities committed during a month-long occupation of some of Kyiv’s satellite towns and suburbs.
