Putin blamed a terrorist attack in Ukraine on Sunday for a major explosion on a Crimean bridge. The day after this announcement, Russian forces launched missile attacks on several cities, including the capital, Kiev, on Monday. After the attack, Putin said Ukraine had committed “terrorist acts” against Russia. If they continue to act like this, strong action will be taken. News from Reuters.
In a televised address on Monday, Putin said Moscow had launched long-range missile strikes against Ukraine’s energy, military and communications infrastructure in retaliation for an attack on a key bridge on the Crimean peninsula linking Russia over the weekend.
Regarding the bridge blast, Putin said it was clear that the Ukrainian secret services ordered, organized and carried out terrorist attacks aimed at destroying Russia’s critical civilian infrastructure.
Ukrainian officials cheered after the explosion, but Kyiv did not claim responsibility.
In his opening address to the Security Council meeting, Putin said, ‘Through its actions, the Kyiv government has made itself a peer of the most heinous of international terrorist groups. There is no way to let go of this type of crime without taking revenge.
Cities across Ukraine were virtually cut off from electricity and water supplies. Several people were killed in a Russian missile attack on more than a dozen Ukrainian cities on Monday morning. “Putin is a terrorist who talks about missiles,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
Putin said Russia would “retaliate sternly” to any attack on Ukraine. If attempts to commit terrorist acts on our territory continue, Russia’s response will be severe and their scale will match the level of threat it poses to the Russian Federation. There should be no doubt about this.
Putin has accused Ukraine of trying to attack a Russian nuclear power plant and the TurkStream gas pipeline. However, he did not provide any evidence in this regard.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the rush-hour attacks appeared to be deliberately aimed at killing people and cutting off electricity. Russian missiles hit 11 major infrastructure targets in eight regions, leaving parts of the country without electricity, water or heat.
(October 10)