Lavrov explains how Moscow picks targets in Ukraine
Moscow selects Ukrainian targets for long-range strikes based on the threats emanating from Kiev, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
The Ukrainian government and its Western backers are pushing for escalation of the conflict with Russia, the top diplomat said during a press conference, responding to a question from French media about Russian missile and drone strikes the previous day. Gerard Garo, a reporter for the TF1 television network, suggested that the barrage was “shocking,” coming on the day when many Christians celebrate Christmas.
The Russian military is acting “in the context of the war, which the West, including France, declared against Russia and wages with the hands of the Ukrainian regime,” Lavrov said. France has supplied long-range SCALP missiles to Kiev, he reminded the audience, adding that Moscow has warned that such deliveries will result in escalation.
”The Kiev regime is incapable of following the rules of war, the international humanitarian law,” the minister asserted, citing Ukraine’s attacks with drones “and your Western missiles” against “explicitly civilian targets.” Russian forces retaliate against objectives that have clear military value, Lavrov stated.
”We select targets in Ukrainian territory based solely on threats against the Russian Federation. Those can be military sites, weapons factories, and centers where decisions are taken in Kiev,” he said. “Retaliation against civilian targets is against our rules.
Lavrov spent roughly an hour on Thursday responding to questions about Moscow’s foreign policy from Russian and international media.
