Zelenskyy declares increased attacks in response to Russia's claims of attacks on civilian targets

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Ji-heon = Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia has launched a new air strike operation aimed at forcing residents to leave major Ukrainian cities, including Kiev, and that Ukraine will also strengthen counterattacks, including against Russian oil refineries.

In an interview with Reuters on the 3rd (local time), President Zelensky said that Ukrainian intelligence officials had obtained documents showing that Russian President Vladimir Putin had issued a new military doctrine allowing attacks on a wide range of civilian targets ahead of winter.

President Zelenskyy claimed, “They allowed attacks on infrastructure and logistics facilities, especially targeting roads, schools, hospitals, and all other facilities within cities and villages.”

He continued, “The goal is to pressure people to leave the capital and other cities,” and added, “That is the goal of this operation.”

In recent weeks, Russia has been increasing the intensity of its air strikes against the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, by mobilizing high-speed jet-propelled drones (unmanned aerial vehicles).

Airstrikes continued to target the central area where government agencies and diplomatic facilities are concentrated, and on the 2nd, three of the six bridges across the Dnipro River in Kiiu were closed due to Russian airstrikes. Reuters explained that this is the first time Russia has targeted a bridge over the Dnipro River.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on the 3rd that "Russian forces are conducting systematic and continuous strikes on military targets in Kiiu and other Ukrainian cities," and urged foreigners and diplomats staying in Kiiu to evacuate.

However, Russia, like Ukraine, claims that it has never intentionally targeted civilians.

President Zelensky said he would respond to Russia's changing tactics but would not attack civilian infrastructure indiscriminately.

“We have to respond in every possible way,” he said. “If they attack our energy facilities, we must respond by targeting their energy facilities. Oil refineries are the priority targets. Those facilities provide Russia with war funds.”

US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine not to attack Russian diesel refineries, saying that diesel prices around the world are rising due to attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Meanwhile, Zelensky's counterattack, called Operation Vivaldi, was successful and an area of ​​about 140 km2 was recaptured in the eastern Donbass (Donetsk and Luhansk) region of Ukraine, and the recapture operation is still in progress.

Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up all of Donbas, but Ukraine is countering that there can be no compromise on the issue of sovereignty.