Ukraine says it has right to scorch Crimea and Russia's other new regions out

Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that Kyiv is entitled to destroy everything in the Crimea, Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.

There was no need for Ukraine to strike Moscow, Podolyak said. Kyiv has other priority targets now — everything that is located on the territory of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, he said.

Podolyak believes that Ukraine has the right for such actions on the basis of international law.

"We legally have the right to destroy everything. There is not a single legal claim against us,” Podolyak said.

Earlier, Podolyak denied the leak about Kyiv's plans to strike Moscow on the anniversary of the start of the special operation. He noted that the Ukrainian government was approaching military operations "with cast-iron mathematical logic", and recalled the need for Kyiv to receive long-range missiles and various types of aircraft to resist the Russian army.

Russia responds to Podolyak's remarks

Major General in Reserve Leonid Ivlev, a Russian MP from the Crimea, said that Podolyak's remarks about Ukraine's right to destroy everything in Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions were fascist in nature.

"I would answer him with an old proverb — God does not give horns to a cow that butts. For such fascist statements, Podolyak will have a seat in the dock,” the MP said.

The MP urged Podolyak to get ready for the trial and study protocols of the Nuremberg Trials, stressing that Russia defends all its territories, including the new regions.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukraine's attacks on the Crimea were fraught with negative consequences. In particular, they jeopardise the grain deal.