Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that on the request of the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff, Russia delivered “mass strikes on Ukraine’s energy, communications and military command facilities using high-precision long-range weapons”. The president is currently holding a session with the permanent members of the Russian Security Council.
“If terrorist attacks on our territory continue, Russia’s response will be tough,” Putin said.
The Russian Defence Ministry notes that the goal of the strikes on Ukraine has been achieved and that “all the designated targets have been hit”.
Besides, Putin accused Ukraine of being behind three terrorist attacks at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant and the attempted explosion at the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. “All this is proven by objective data, including the statements given by the detained perpetrators of these terrorist attacks,” he said.
Putin also noted that Russia was not allowed to join the investigation into the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. “But we all know who the final beneficiary of this crime is,” he said.
Today, major cities all across Ukraine have been targeted in Russian missile strikes. Ukraine’s National Police spokesperson Maryana Reva reports that so far, there are confirmed reports of 10 people killed and 60 injured.
Yesterday, Putin and chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev commented on the Crimean Bridge explosion for the first time. Medvedev said that the only possible response to the “act of terrorism and diversion carried out by the criminal Kyiv regime” is “direct elimination of terrorists”. Putin deemed the incident “a terror attack against Russia’s essential civilian infrastructure” and accused the Ukrainian special services of being behind the attack.
On 8 October, Russian army general Sergey Surovikin was appointed “commander of the combined group of forces in the area of the special military operation”.
