“The people of Ukraine should blame only the head of the Kyiv regime for this,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated, referring to the Ukrainian president. “It is Zelenskyy who bears full personal and political responsibility for this.”
In an interview with Reuters, Zelenskyy said Saturday that Ukrainian forces “have to respond in any way we can” to Russian attacks, which are increasingly targeting bridges across the Dnipro River in the capital.
“With their attacks on our energy, we have to respond on their energy. First of all, oil refiners: what gives money to them for this war,” he added, while saying Ukraine would not retaliate by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure.
The Russian government also accused Kyiv of attempts “to disrupt voting in the elections … through terrorist strikes on civilian targets on Russian territory.” President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party largely dominated the results of Russia’s legislative elections, held from Sept. 18 to 20.
Russia’s threat to intensify strikes on Ukraine came on the same day as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a surprise one-day visit to Kyiv in a show of support to Ukraine.
During Merz’s visit, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that Russia had struck the roadway of the North Bridge in the city. On Saturday, Russia’s foreign ministry issued a warning against foreign visitors and diplomats and urged them to leave Kyiv.
Merz is expected to renew Germany’s support for Ukraine with a new military aid package worth around €1 billion, in addition to generators, substations and repair kits worth €350 million to strengthen the Ukrainian power grid under attack.
Zelenskyy and Merz visited Kyiv’s National Academy of Sciences, which was recently hit by Russian drones in an attack that killed two people and injured seven others and “was deliberate,” the Ukrainian president said on social media.