Lavrov Announces Series of Large-Scale Attacks on Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced that Russian armed forces will carry out massive, coordinated strikes on a regular basis against targets that Moscow says are directly linked to the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army.

Lavrov cited a decision by President Vladimir Putin, described as a response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory. Ukraine had previously attacked several strategic facilities in Russia, including a Moscow refinery, oil terminals and pumping stations.

Kyiv has presented these operations as part of an effort to weaken Russia's military logistics and energy infrastructure. Tensions have also been rising at the diplomatic level.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for direct negotiations to end the war, but Moscow has rejected the proposal.

(mja)