Russia says it only hit Ukraine’s “military targets” and has never struck civilian infrastructure in the ex-Soviet republic.
At a press conference on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russian forces had never targeted civilian infrastructure in Ukraine after Kiev accused Moscow of launching a missile attack that purportedly claimed the lives of more than 50 people in the eastern village of Groza.
“We repeat that the Russian military does not strike civilian targets. Strikes are carried out on military targets, on places where military personnel are concentrated,” he said.
Peskov’s remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday warned that Moscow would “again try to destroy” Ukraine’s power grid this winter.
“This winter, Russian terrorists will again try to destroy our power system. We are fully aware of the danger,” the Ukrainian leader said in his daily evening address.
Zelensky added that Kiev was making “preparations” to protect its heating facilities, as the Russia-Ukraine war has dragged on for almost 20 months.
Last winter, Kiev claimed that Russia led a campaign of hitting Ukraine’s power grid and energy facilities with missiles and that the purported campaign left thousands of Ukrainians to face freezing temperatures in the cold season.
Kiev is preparing for “the protection of our generating facilities and provision of electricity and heat, restoration of everything damaged by Russian strikes and hostilities,” Zelensky further said.
“Winning this winter, going through all the difficulties and giving protection to our people is very important,” he added.
Back in November last year, Zelensky said that Russian strikes had destroyed 30 percent of the country’s energy infrastructure, causing “massive blackouts” in the former Soviet republic.
Source : Press TV