MOSCOW, October 5. /TASS/. The intensification of Russian strikes on military facilities in Ukraine is aimed at limiting Vladimir Zelensky’s ability to escalate the conflict and inflict damage on the Russian economy, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large for the Crimes of the Kiev Regime Rodion Miroshnik told Izvestia.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian strikes on military facilities and the defense industry in Kiev and other regions of Ukraine would be intensified following Zelensky’s recent statement that the Kiev regime would increase strikes on Russian oil refineries in response to Russian strikes on Ukraine’s defense industry facilities. The ministry also said that Ukrainian residents should blame the head of the Kiev regime for this, as Zelensky bears personal responsibility for everything.

"Our task is to deprive Zelensky as much as possible of the ability to carry out any escalation or launch strikes that could damage the Russian economy," he said.

"Now the people of Kiev should clearly 'thank' Zelensky for the previous 40-day so-called effort to force Russia into negotiations, because what Ukraine was doing in the summer has now resulted in an escalation against Ukrainian territory and an increase in the number of Russian strikes," Miroshnik stressed.