Putin claims strikes on Ukrainian residential areas were "attacks on defence industry facilities"
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has attempted to justify large-scale missile strikes on Ukrainian cities by claiming that the targets were defence industry facilities.
Source: Putin during a meeting with representatives of global news agencies, as reported by RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency
Details: During the meeting with foreign journalists, Putin was asked about the numerous Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including residential buildings, that have caused civilian deaths.
Responding to the question with a smile, Putin said: "If your journalists had seen entire residential areas destroyed by our missiles, they would hardly be able to tell you anything about it."
Meanwhile, he again claimed that the Russians were striking "defence industry facilities" and not residential areas.
According to Putin, Russia is "demilitarising" Ukraine and he is depriving Ukraine "of the possibility of having armed forces that pose a threat to Russia" by conducting missile strikes.
Background:
- On the night of 16-17 June, Russia launched another large-scale missile and drone strike on Ukraine.
- A Russian ballistic missile hit a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv, completely destroying one section of the block. A total of 28 people were killed and another 134 injured in Kyiv.
- Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv and Kyiv oblasts were also attacked during the night.
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