Russian president Vladimir Putin said Monday's strikes on Ukrainian cities were a response to what he called 'terrorist action', referring to the strikes over the weekend at Kerch Bridge in Russian occupied Crimea. 'It is simply impossible to leave crimes of this kind unanswered' said Putin. He added that the decision was taken to strike various Ukrainian cities after the Russian defence ministry put forward a proposal. Speaking at a security council meeting this morning, 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,' said the Russian president.