Ukraine says Russia issued new doctrine targeting civilians ahead of winter

Ukrainian intelligence has obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, Zelensky said.

Russia said on Saturday it would continue to carry out targeted retaliatory strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities and urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the capital. The Russian foreign ministry said that “in response to the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ terrorist acts against the civilian population and civilian infrastructure of our country, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are continuing to systematically carry out targeted strikes on military facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities”. “The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again warns foreign nationals, including diplomatic mission staff, against staying in Ukraine or travelling to its territory. “Responsibility for any adverse consequences lies entirely with those who ignore this warning,” the ministry said.

Ukraine said it will double down on attacking Russian oil refineries in response to the new policy of airstrikes by Moscow designed to force people to abandon Kyiv and other cities, but will not target civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky said later.

Ukrainian intelligence has obtained documents showing that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had issued a “new doctrine” of military attacks on a much broader range of civilian targets ahead of this winter, Zelensky said.

Russia has recently escalated strikes on infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, hitting a bridge across the Dnipro river in an air attack on Saturday. The intensifying campaign has upended life for the capital’s 3 million residents ahead of the bitter winter months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said this week that Ukraine was paying the price for its own attacks on Russia.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has described India’s proposal for a possible ceasefire with Russia as the “broadest” among four offers received by Kyiv, with Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha saying it is ready to consider a truce covering energy infrastructure and the Black Sea. “We have four proposals. The broadest one is India’s proposal. We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in this combination,” Sybiha told reporters in Kyiv on Friday, according to the European Pravda newspaper.

The comments came a day after Putin said PM Narendra Modi has “very good ideas” for finding a mutually acceptable settlement to the Ukraine conflict. Sybiha said the proposals for a possible ceasefire had come from India, Turkiye, Egypt and the US.