Russia to intensify strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities
Moscow says intensified attacks on military, industrial and infrastructure targets are a response to Zelensky’s announcement of strikes on Russian refineries.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has ordered its forces to step up strikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, saying the moves are a response to recent statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv will increase attacks on Russian oil refineries.
The ministry said Russian forces should intensify strikes against military facilities, defence‑industry plants and related infrastructure in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine. Moscow has recently stepped up attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure, including strikes on bridges over the Dnipro River in the capital.
Escalation ahead of winter
Russian offensive operations have focused on targets intended to disrupt civilian life across Kyiv, officials say, a campaign that has already complicated daily life for roughly three million residents of the capital as colder months approach.
In an interview published yesterday, Zelensky said Ukraine would further increase attacks on Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow’s new air‑raid tactics aimed at forcing people to leave Kyiv and other cities, while stressing that Ukraine "but will not strike civilians. New ballistic projects will have to help with that."
The Russian Ministry of Defence asserted that its recent strikes on Kyiv and other regions are retaliatory measures for attacks on civilian targets inside Russia.
Photo: press material from the event
