Russian defense minister insists Ukraine infrastructure is military target
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday that Russia is targeting critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine to reduce the country’s military capacity — rebuffing accusations that Moscow is committing war crimes by trying to leave people without power or heat during winter.
“With precision-guided strikes, we continue to effectively hit military infrastructure facilities, as well as facilities that affect the reduction of Ukraine’s military potential,” Shoigu said during a Defense Ministry conference call, according to Russian media.
Shoigu’s boast about the success of Russia’s airstrikes came a day after Russia launched a fresh barrage of cruise missile attacks that hit at least 10 regions across Ukraine, damaging energy and infrastructure facilities and leaving many residents of
Kyiv, the capital, temporarily without domestic water service.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of trying to terrorize the civilian population by repeatedly hitting energy infrastructure, raising the prospect of a lack of power and heat during an ever nearing, bitter winter. Western officials have repeatedly condemned Russia’s attacks.
Attacking civilian targets with no military purpose is potentially a war crime, but it can be difficult to prove that energy infrastructure does not also help support soldiers on the front lines.
“Instead of fighting on the battlefield, Russia fights civilians,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter on Monday. “Russia does this because it still has the missiles and the will to kill Ukrainians.”