Vladimir Putin said Monday's missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were a response to what he called 'terrorist action', referring to Saturday's attack on Kerch bridge, which connects Russian-occupied Crimea to Russia.

'It is simply impossible to leave crimes of this kind unanswered,' he said, adding that the decision was taken to strike various Ukrainian cities after the Russian defence ministry put forward a proposal. Speaking at a Russian security council meeting, Putin also said Russia would respond harshly to any continued threats. 'Russia's response will be harsh and its scale will correspond to that of the threat made against the Russian Federation,' he said.