New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country’s forces today carried out a “massive strike” against Ukrainian energy, military and communications facilities in “retaliation” to “terrorist attacks” by the Ukraine regime at Russian infrastructure.
He warned that “in the event of more attempts to stage terrorist attacks on our territory, Russia’s response will be harsh and commensurate with the threats posed to the Russian Federation.”
“This morning, at the proposal of the Defence Ministry and in accordance with the plan of Russia’s General Staff, a massive strike was launched with long-range precision air, sea and land-based weapons against Ukrainian energy, military and communications facilities,” Putin said.
He was addressing the Russian Security Council meeting over the bomb attack on Crimean Bridge that happened two days back.
“The forensic and other expert data, as well as operational information, show that the October 8 explosion was an act of terrorism aimed at destroying Russia’s civilian and critical infrastructure,” he said.
It was “clear that the Ukrainian special services were the organisers and perpetrators of the attack,” the Russian President said.
He said, “The Kiev regime has long been using terrorist methods, including murders of public figures, journalists and scientists, both in Ukraine and in Russia.
“And terrorist attacks on towns in Donbass, which have been going on for more than eight years. And also acts of nuclear terrorism, by which I mean missile and artillery strikes on the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.”
Putin said Ukraine’s special services have also carried out three terrorist acts against Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, repeatedly blowing up the plant’s high-voltage lines.
“The third such terrorist attack damaged three of those lines at once. The damage was repaired in the shortest possible time and there were no serious consequences,” he said.
“However, there have been a number of other terrorist attacks and attempts to commit similar crimes against electricity generation and gas transportation infrastructure facilities in our country, including an attempt to blow up a section of the TurkStream gas pipeline system,” he said.
“All this has been proven by objective data, including the testimony of the detained perpetrators,” Putin said.
He said Russian representatives are not allowed to take part in the investigation into the causes of explosions at and the destruction of international gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea “But we all know who ultimately benefits from this crime.”
“Thus, the Kiev regime, by its actions, has actually put itself on the same level as international terrorist groups, and with the most odious of those. It is simply no longer possible to leave crimes of this kind without retaliation,” the Russian leader said.
