Speaking after an awards ceremony for ‘Heroes of Russia’ on the Kremlin on Thursday, he addressed a bunch of troopers receiving the awards, clutching a glass of champagne.
“Yes, we are doing it. But who started it?” mentioned the president – who ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
He listed a collection of occasions he blames on the Ukrainians: “Who hit the Crimean bridge? Who blew up the power lines from the Kursk nuclear power plant?”
The Ukrainians have by no means claimed accountability, however the Kremlin was fast to level fingers towards Kyiv. In the times following the bridge explosion, Putin mentioned “further acts of terrorism on the territory of Russia will be harsh … have no doubt about that”.
Last week, Putin appeared on the bridge whereas he was proven repairs, after which he drove a automobile throughout it.
The reference to Kursk seems to reference Russia’s announcement that an airfield within the Kursk area, which neighbours Ukraine, was focused in a drone assault.
At the awards ceremony, Putin continued to checklist alleged aggressions by the Ukraine authorities: “Who is not supplying water to Donetsk? Not supplying water to a city of million is an act of genocide.”
He ended his obvious off-the-cuff feedback by claiming there isn’t any point out of the water state of affairs. “No one has said a word about it anywhere. At all! Complete silence,” he mentioned.
Local Russian authorities in Donetsk — which Putin claimed to annex in defiance of worldwide legislation — have reported frequent shelling of the town this week.
The president tersely in contrast the distinction in reactions between assaults on Russia and navy strikes on Ukraine.
“Asoon as we make a move, do something in response — noise, clamour, crackle for the whole universe,” he mentioned.
Putin ended by saying that “it won’t interfere with our combat missions.”
Putin visits bridge broken throughout bomb assault
