Russia to intensify strikes on Ukraine after Zelenskiy interview

Russia will intensify strikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Sunday, responding to an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which he vowed increased attacks on Russian refineries. The ministry said Russian forces would step up attacks on military facilities, defence industry sites and related infrastructure in Kyiv and elsewhere in Ukraine. Zelenskiy had told Reuters in an interview published on Saturday that Ukraine will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to a new policy of airstrikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians. Russia has recently escalated strikes on infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, including hitting bridges across the Dnipro river. The intensifying campaign has seriously disrupted life for the capital’s 3 million residents ahead of the bitter winter months. The Russian Defence Ministry said its recent strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions were a response to what it described as attacks by Kyiv on civilian targets inside Russia. Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians.