Putin-Further Ukrainian Attacks Will Elicit Harsh Response

Wires carrying comments from Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking to meeting of the Russian National Security Council.

• Says that attack on bridge linking Crimea to Russia is 'an act of terrorism' that was carried out by 'Ukrainian special services'. Alleges that Ukraine also tried to blow up Turkish stream pipeline.
• Putin: "The Ukrainian special services have already carried out three terrorist attacks. It is simply impossible to leave the crimes of the Kyiv regime unanswered"
• 'In the event of further attempts to carry out terrorist acts on our territory, Russia's response will be harsh.' Says that long-range missiles struck Ukraine's energy, military, and communications facilities this morning. 'The responses will be of the same scale as the threats to Russia'
• Germany's Bild reporting that a building holding part of the German consulate in Kyiv was struck by a missile earlier today. If this is the case there will be significant focus on the response from Berlin.
• Kremlin spox Pesokv: 'No decisions were made to reformat the Special Military Operation (SMO) into a Anti terrorist Operation (ATO)'
• Some focus on Belarus' stance towards the war this morning. Samuel Raimani at FP: "Alexander Lukashenko accuses the West of trying to create a "second front" against Russia via Belarus. [...]This narrative is familiar and has been used to create a "siege mentality" around Lukashenko.[...] But Lukashenko has steadfastly refused to join the Ukraine War, he might be creating a pretext to eventually cross that line."