MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Russia will continue attacking facilities used by the Ukrainian military and foreign mercenaries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"We will continue to target the sites used by the military of Ukraine by some mercenaries from foreign countries and by instructors whom the Europeans officially sent to help target Russian civilian sites," he said in an interview with the CBS television channel.
He drew attention to the fact that Ukraine is targeting only civilians facilities in Russia’s territory. "If you take a look at the situation in the Kursk region of Russia, for example, there is no single military target for the last six months which the Ukrainians would fire at," he stressed.
In response to media questions on Monday, President Putin emphasized the importance of avoiding strikes on civilian infrastructure whenever possible. He pointed out that Kiev often repurposes such facilities for military activities. For example, the university congress center in Sumy, which was struck by Russian missiles, was reportedly hosting an award ceremony for Ukrainian military personnel responsible for crimes in the Kursk Region, so it was an act of retribution. Additionally, in the Odessa region, a facility engaged in agricultural production was targeted; Kiev and its foreign allies allegedly aimed to develop a new missile system there. Putin called for thorough investigations into these incidents, suggesting that bilateral dialogues could help clarify and address these issues.
Lavrov refutes allegations that Russia is not ready for any concessions on Ukraine
Lavrov has denied allegations that Russia is not ready for any concessions on Ukraine.
When the host said Russia looks unwilling to make any concession on anything, the top Russian diplomat replied, "No, my brief answer is you are wrong."
"I have been emphasizing repeatedly in relation to Ukraine, in relation to strategic relations with the United States, I have been emphasizing our readiness to seek balance of interests. If this is not what your station considers readiness for negotiations, then I don't know how to be even less eloquent in trying to be brief in my answers," he said.
He refrained from discussing "publicly the details of what is being subject of negotiations." "I understand that you love rumors because rumors are played around," he said. "I said about us. We are not discussing things which are subject to negotiations.
Russia’s April 24 attack in Kiev did not target civilian facilities
Russia’s attack on Kiev early on April 24, 2025 did not target civilian facilities, it targeted sites used by the Ukrainian military, Lavrov said.
"If this was a target used by the Ukrainian military, the Ministry of Defense, the commanders in the field have the right to attack them," he said. "Well, I can assure you that the target attacked was not something absolutely civilian like a TV center in Belgrade in 1999. This was an intentional attack against civilian target. In our case, we only target those sites which are used by the military."
Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s call for a ceasefire, the top Russian diplomat recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin had immediately voiced support for the proposal on a 30-day ceasefire "provided we do not repeat mistakes of the last 10 years when deals were signed, and then Ukraine would violate those deals with the support and with encouragement from Biden administration and from European countries."
"This was the fate of the deal of February 2014. Then this was the fate of the Minsk agreements, and this was the fate of the deal reached on the basis of Ukrainian proposals in Istanbul in April 2022. So President Putin said, ‘Ceasefire, yes, but we want the guarantees that the ceasefire would not be used again to beef up Ukrainian military, and that the supplies of arms should stop,’ Lavrov noted.