Maria Zakharova, an official representative for the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on the attack that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) conducted on the Russian city of Belgorod.
According to Zakharova, Kyiv and its Western curators will have to pay a price if they continue provocations on Russian territory.
"We have so far refrained from taking such steps, but we will be monitoring the development of the situation very closely,” she added.
According to Zakharova, Kyiv's decision to strike a missile blow on Belgorod was most likely based on instructions from the West. They act so to push Moscow to retaliate and to "spin the anti-Russian hysteria further," Zakharova added.
Earlier, Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov, a representative of the Russian Defence Ministry, said that Kyiv had carried out a deliberate strike with the use of ballistic missiles and drones on residential areas of the cities of Belgorod and Kursk, where there are no military facilities.
According to Konashenkov, the strikes were carried out from 03:00 to 03:30 a.m. Moscow time. Ukraine used Tochka-U missiles with cluster munitions and Tu-143 Reis drones in the attacks on the Russian cities.
Official statement from the Defence Ministry:
Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on the situation in the city:
Update:
The death toll has climbed to four. One of them is a citizen of the Russian Federation, the other three are citizens of Ukraine. Two people went missing, including a child.
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