MOSCOW: Following the attack on the Russian city of Belgorod, President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia will “intensify” its strikes on military targets in Ukraine. The assault on Belgorod had killed 24 people and left over 100 wounded over the weekend, prompting a stern response from Moscow.
Speaking during a visit to a military hospital, Putin affirmed Russia’s commitment to escalating its military actions against Ukraine. He emphasized that no crime against civilians would go unpunished, particularly in the aftermath of the attack on Belgorod. The Russian president accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting civilian areas in the city center, where people were celebrating before New Year’s Eve.
“We are going to intensify the strikes, no crime against civilians will rest unpunished, that is for certain,” Putin declared, asserting that Russia will focus on hitting what he referred to as “military installations.” He added, “We are doing that today, and tomorrow we will continue doing it,” marking almost two years into Moscow’s offensive against Ukraine.
Putin Labels Ukraine’s Attack on Belgorod as Terrorist Attack
The Belgorod attack was labeled by Putin as a “terrorist attack,” further escalating tensions between the two nations. Putin reiterated his claim that Ukraine is being manipulated by the West to address its issues with Russia, framing the conflict as a proxy for broader geopolitical struggles.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported that Russia unleashed a “record” number of drones on New Year’s Day, escalating the technological aspect of the conflict. Putin, however, maintained that the “strategic initiative” in the ongoing conflict remained with Russia.
“In any case, that is how I am being briefed, and I always insist: any offensive operations should be done after a defeat of the enemy,” Putin stated, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
