Moscow, The Indonesia Post – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the mass strikes against Ukraine were in retaliation for the explosions at the Kerch Bridge and other “terrorist attacks” launched by Ukrainian intelligence.
Speaking at a meeting with members of Russia’s Security Council, Putin said evidence gathered by Russian investigators showed that Ukrainian intelligence was behind Saturday’s attack on the bridge connecting Russia and Crimea.
“This morning, at the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and in accordance with the plans of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a large-scale attack was launched with high-precision long-range weapons based on land, sea and air on the energy, military administration and communications facilities of Ukraine,” Putin said.
Putin also revealed that a special Ukrainian system attacked the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in Ukraine and the Kursk nuclear power plant in Russia.
A number of other “terrorist attacks” targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure, including an attempt to blow up a section of the TurkStream gas pipeline that runs from Russia to Turkey, he said.
Russia was not involved in the investigation of the leak in the Nord Stream gas pipeline, Putin said, adding that everyone knew “who ultimately benefits.”
Putin has said in the past that an explosion in an offshore pipeline, which carries gas from Russia to Germany, would help energy companies in the United States make big profits by selling gas to Europe. (mhn/bbs)
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