By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian armed forces hit all their targets in Ukraine with high precision weapons on Monday, a Defense Ministry spokesman said, as President Vladimir Putin ordered strikes in response to "terrorist attacks."
"Today, the Russian armed forces have inflicted a massive strike with high-precision long-range weapons on the objects of the military control, communications and energy systems of Ukraine. The target of the strike has been achieved. All assigned objects are hit," said Igor Konashenkov.
Putin said Monday that targets in Ukraine were hit in response to Saturday's explosion on the Kerch Bridge and other "terrorist attacks" carried out by Ukraine's intelligence.
While Kyiv has not explicitly claimed responsibility, multiple statements by top Ukrainian officials pointed to the possibility, including one from presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak, who said the blast was just “the beginning.”
Meanwhile, a recent report by the New York Times said the US intelligence believes a bomb attack that killed Russian journalist Darya Dugina in Moscow was authorized by Ukrainian government officials.
The latest strikes have been condemned by Western officials, including EU leaders and the NATO secretary general, who vowed continued support for Kyiv.
Russia started its “special military operation” in Ukraine in February. In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive, while Moscow called up more reservists and annexed four Ukrainian regions into Russia following "sham" referendums.