Kiev, Apr 15 (IANS): Russia says it has hit a plant making anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles outside the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the media reported.

It came hours after it admitted that the Moskva warship had sunk following an explosion on Wednesday, the BBC reported.

Ukraine said it hit the Russian cruiser in the Black Sea with missiles while Russia has said a fire on board caused the sinking

Russia's defence ministry said attacks on Kiev would be intensified if Ukraine targeted Russian territory.

The strikes by Russia were carried out using sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles and targeted the Vizar machine-building plant in the Kiev suburb of Zhulyany, the Russian defence ministry said in a statement published on its Telegram channel, the BBC reported.

Kiev residents say they did hear explosions, and social media users wrote that electricity had gone out in some places,

Russia said its sea-based cruise missiles struck a factory in the city overnight, which produces air-defence systems and anti-ship missiles.

As a result, the plant's "workshops for the production and repair of long-range and medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as anti-ship missiles, were destroyed", the ministry added in a statement published on its Telegram channel.

On Thursday, Russia accused Ukraine of sending helicopters across the border to attack several Russian towns.