On Thursday, December 8, in the St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, where the heroes of the Russian Federation were awarded, President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russian troops are shelling Ukrainian energy infrastructure, Meduza reports.

 "Yes, we are doing it," the head of the Kremlin said, but as an excuse he said that Russia allegedly started mass shelling of Ukraine only after the strikes on the Crimean bridge.

 "But who started it? Who hit the Crimean bridge," said the Russian president, also mentioning that power lines from the nuclear power plant in Kursk were blown up.

 He also noted that water is not supplied to Donetsk, calling it an "act of genocide."

 "All we have to do is move and do something in response - noise, hum, crackle to the entire universe," said the Russian president. At the same time, Putin also clarified that this circumstance will not prevent the Russian Federation from "carrying out its combat tasks."