MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry said it carries out massive strikes on Kiev and other Ukrainian regions in response to the actions of the Kiev regime leader.

"In response to these threats, the Russian Defense Ministry recalls that it carries out massive strikes on Kiev and other Ukrainian regions precisely in response to the actions of the Kiev regime leader," the ministry said.

Ukrainians should blame the Kiev regime leader for intensified Russian strikes, as Vladimir Zelensky bears full personal responsibility for them, the Defense Ministry said. "The Ukrainian population should blame only the head of the Kiev regime for this [the intensification of strikes on military targets in Ukraine - TASS]. It is Zelensky who bears full personal and political responsibility for this," the ministry said.

Russian forces are carrying out strikes on Kiev and other Ukrainian regions in response to Vladimir Zelensky’s attempts to disrupt the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) and elections. "This concerns VZelensky’s attempts to disrupt voting in the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federal Assembly through terrorist strikes on civilian facilities in Russia, including deliberate missile and drone strikes on precinct election commissions that killed six completely innocent civilians," the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army carried out a deliberate terrorist strike overnight on residential areas of Belgorod where there are no military facilities. "Last night the Kiev regime carried out a deliberate terrorist strike on residential areas of the city of Belgorod, where there are no military facilities whatsoever," the ministry said. The strike killed and wounded civilians and damaged apartment buildings, private homes, and vehicles, the ministry noted.

Russian forces will step up strikes on military and defense industry facilities in Kiev and other Ukrainian regions following Vladimir Zelensky’s recent statement, the ministry added. "Following Zelensky’s statement today, the Russian Armed Forces will step up strikes on military and defense industry facilities, as well as related infrastructure, in Kiev and other Ukrainian regions," the ministry said.