MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin directed his country’s FSB security agency on Tuesday to enhance safeguards for Russia’s energy and transportation systems, citing Ukrainian strikes that he claimed were supported by Western intelligence agencies.
During remarks marking four years since the conflict began, Putin cautioned that Russia’s adversaries would face repercussions if they continue escalating tensions.
“They did not manage to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield, so the enemy is relying on individual and mass terror: this includes shelling cities, sabotaging infrastructure, and assassination attempts on government and military officials,” Putin stated while addressing FSB leadership.
“There is an absolute need to defeat Russia. They are looking for any way, anything at all. They will push themselves to some extreme point, and then they will regret it,” he added.
Throughout the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has launched numerous strikes against Russian oil storage facilities, refineries and maritime ports. Moscow has also blamed Ukraine for multiple killings of high-ranking military personnel.
During his televised address, Putin indicated that Russian energy pipelines beneath the Black Sea might become targets for attack.
The Russian leader issued a directive to “strengthen the anti-terrorist protection of energy and transport infrastructure and public gathering places, provide maximum coverage for critical facilities, and, if necessary, equip them with additional security measures.”
