NNA – Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Monday that Russia will quot;intensifyquot; its strikes on military targets in Ukraine in response to an unprecedented Ukrainian bombing of the Russian city of Belgorod last weekend,quot; according to Agence France-Presse.
Putin said during a visit to a military hospital: ldquo;We will intensify our strikes, and no crime targeting civilians will remain unpunished, that is certain,rdquo; explaining that these strikes will target ldquo;military installations.rdquo;
He added: quot;We strike with precision weapons decision-making places, places where soldiers and mercenaries gather, other centers of this kind, and military facilities above all. These are very sensitive strikes. This is what we will continue to do.quot;
He described the bombing of Belgorod, which left 24 dead and more than a hundred wounded on Saturday, as a quot;terrorist act,quot; accusing Ukrainian forces of striking quot;the city center where people are picnicking before New Year#39;s Eve.quot;
But he believed that quot;Ukraine is not an enemyquot; in the complete sense, accusing the West of using Kiev to quot;settle its problemsquot; with Russia.
He continued: quot;We also want to put an end to the conflict as quickly as possible, but only on our terms. We have no desire to fight endlessly, but we will also not give up our positions.quot;
He stressed that Moscow forces are now adhering to the quot;strategic initiativequot; on the Ukrainian front, as they are gradually advancing after the failure of the Ukrainian counter-attack in the summer.
The bombing of Belgorod came in response to Russian bombingnbsp;on Ukrainian cities on Friday, which left about forty people dead.
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