MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, pointed out that Russia’s Armed Forces had long refrained from targeted missile strikes on targets in Ukraine, but now they were a necessary measure in response to Kiev's provocations, the Kremlin’s press service said after the two leaders’ conversation on Friday.

"It was stressed that the Russian Armed Forces had long refrained from pinpoint missile strikes against certain targets on the territory of Ukraine, but now Russia has been left with no other choice than to respond to Kiev's provocative attacks against Russian civilian infrastructure, including the Crimean bridge and energy facilities," the news release reads.

The same applies to the terrorist attack against the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines. The circumstances require a transparent investigation with relevant Russia’s agencies taking part, the Kremlin’s press-service said.