Moscow: Amidst the sudden escalation in the Russian attacks on Ukraine following the Crimea Bridge Blast on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday convened a meeting of the permanent members of the security council amid calls for reprisals over the attack that damaged a section of a bridge linking Russia-annexed Crimea with Russia, a key supply artery for Moscow’s military campaign in southern Ukraine. President Putin held a briefing session with the permanent members of the security council via videoconference.
Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov, reported Kremlin.
Putin has accused Ukraine of being behind the Kerch bridge explosion, masterminding an “act of terrorism” that destroyed part of the crucial link between Russia and the annexed territory of Crimea, as calls grow for revenge.
“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,” said Putin.
“It is also clear that the Ukrainian special services were the organisers and perpetrators of the attack. The Kyiv 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 Donbas, 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 Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” he added.
Putin further stated at the meeting that 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, “said the Russian President.
Russia on Monday launched a barrage, said to be the heaviest wave of missile and rocket attacks since the opening week of the war, on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Russian officials said they targeted critical energy infrastructure and several regions of Ukraine are now suffering power outages.
The Kremlin said today that a huge missile salvo across Ukraine launched by its forces was within the framework of what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“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,” said Putin.
He further stated 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.
(With agency inputs)
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