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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that Kyiv "opened Pandora's box" by striking civilian infrastructure, defending Russia's continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and denying that the strikes would harm relations between Moscow and Ankara.
"Russia was not the initiator (of strikes on ships). I want to remind you of President Putin's statement, in which he said we did not carry out strikes. It was only after the Ukrainians began striking our civilian infrastructure and economic targets," Peskov said, briefing reporters in Moscow.
Asked whether continued strikes on Black Sea shipping could negatively affect relations between Russia and Türkiye, Peskov said no.
"No, it cannot," Peskov said.
"Russia was not the initiator of strikes on ships in the Black Sea. It was only after the Ukrainians began striking our civilian infrastructure and economic targets that they opened 'Pandora's box,'" he added.
Peskov said Russian forces would continue targeting commercial vessels used to transport weapons, ammunition and fuel for Ukraine's military.
"A huge number of commercial ships are being used to transport weapons, ammunition, fuel for the Ukrainian armed forces, and so on. These ships are being destroyed and will continue to be destroyed," Peskov said.
Asked about Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store's statement that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane narrowly avoided being struck by a drone while departing Moldova, Peskov said no such threat existed.
Asked about the detention in Russia of a Russian citizen accused of gathering information on British diplomats and acting as a Ukrainian agent, Peskov said, "The Ukrainians have carried out provocations to draw Western countries directly into the war, and they will continue to do so."
He said the United Kingdom and Germany had lost control over the government in Kyiv, and argued Ukraine was failing on the battlefield and had therefore resorted to acts of terror.
Peskov's comments came days after Russia's Foreign Ministry said it had briefed Turkish officials during inter-ministerial consultations in Moscow on what it described as Ukraine's "destructive actions" in the Black Sea threatening shipping safety.
The exchange of strikes on Black Sea shipping has continued to draw in vessels linked to third countries.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that two of its citizens were killed and two more injured when a drone struck the foreign cargo ship TEDY on Wednesday, with the injured hospitalized in the Ukrainian city of Chornomorsk.
No party has claimed responsibility for that attack.
The ministry renewed its call for Azerbaijani citizens to avoid regions "where military operations are ongoing, or the security situation is unstable."
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Türkiye has also been repeatedly affected by the escalation.
Ukraine's ambassador to Ankara was summoned to Türkiye's Foreign Ministry on Aug. 29 after two Turkish-operated vessels, the Lider Bordo Mavi and Lider Kocatepe, were struck near the Russian port city of Tuapse on Aug. 26 and 27, respectively, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.
Turkish officials stressed during the meeting the need to ensure the safety of life, property, navigation, and the environment in the Black Sea.
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