Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to respond in “a very harsh matter” on Monday if Ukraine continues what Putin described as “terrorist attacks” following an explosion on a key bridge.
Two days after a massive explosion damaged a bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, Putin during a Security Council meeting boasted of a “massive” Russian strike that overnight targeted Kyiv. Ukraine’s capital city had largely not been a target in recent months.
“In case of continuation of terrorist attacks on our territory, we will respond in a very harsh manner, and we will respond in level with the level of threats posed against Russian Federation,” Putin said. “Nobody should have any doubt about this.”
Facing steep territorial losses from a Ukrainian counteroffensive, Putin announced he would annex four regions in Ukraine’s east and south as he called up 300,000 reservists. But the Ukrainians have continued making gains in areas claimed by Russia even after the Kremlin’s land grab.
Putin on Monday went on to accuse Kyiv of “nuclear terrorism” in its military operation, which comes as the Russian president warns the West he is not bluffing in his own threats of using the Kremlin’s nuclear arsenal.
On Saturday, a critical bridge linking Russia to Crimea, Ukraine’s southern peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014, was badly damaged in a massive explosion.
The road and rail line is viewed as personally important for Putin as both a symbolic and physical representation of Russia’s control over the peninsula. Putin on Monday blamed Ukraine, which has not claimed responsibility for the explosion.
“It’s also obvious that the masterminds and perpetrators are Ukrainian Security Services,” Putin said on Monday, according to a translation posted by Sky News. “Kyiv regime has been using terrorist attacks for a long time now, this is the assassination of public figures, scientists, journalists both in Ukraine and Russia.”
U.S. officials have said there are no signs Russia is imminently moving toward using a tactical nuclear weapon, but they have expressed concerns about the possibility.
Russia overnight moved to strike Kyiv and other targets in response, hours after Putin first called the bridge explosion an act of terrorism.
“Leaving such crimes without response is simply impossible,” Putin said. “This morning on the proposal of the Ministry of Defense and the general staff, we have conducted a massive, high-precision weapon strike from the sea and from land aimed at Ukrainian military infrastructure, communication infrastructure and so on.”
Officials reported at least five civilian deaths and 12 people wounded in Kyiv following the blast, saying at least 83 missiles were fired at Ukraine.
In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had attacked a dozen regions, also labeling Russian officials “terrorists” and claiming they are deliberately targeting civilians.
“They want panic and chaos, they want to destroy our energy system,” Zelensky said. “They are hopeless. The second target is people. Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible.”