MOSCOW/WASHINGTON - The Ukraine conflict has obtained features of a global conflict after attacks by Western missiles on Russia's Kursk and Bryansk regions, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Thursday.

"Since this moment, as we have underscored repeatedly, the conflict in Ukraine, provoked by the West, has obtained elements of global nature," he said.

The Russian president vowed that Russia will respond decisively in case of escalation in Ukraine.

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He stressed that Russia has the right to use weapons against the military facilities of the countries that use their weapons against Russia.

"I would like to stress once again that it is not Russia that is destroying the international security system, but the United States," Putin stressed in the speech.

He also confirmed that Russia has successfully tested a new medium-range ballistic missile Oreshnik in response to enemy actions.  

Meanwhile, the United States imposed sanctions Thursday on more than 100 Russian financial entities and finance officials, among them Gazprombank, Russia's largest remaining bank yet to be blocked by Washington.

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According to a statement by the Department of the Treasury, in addition to Gazprombank, which is partially owned by Russia's state-controlled gas company Gazprom, the newly announced sanctions also hit more than 50 internationally connected Russian banks, more than 40 Russian securities registrars, and 15 Russian finance officials.

As a result of the sanction, Gazprombank, one of Russia's largest banks, is effectively blocked in the US baking system, as transactions with US customers will be banned and the bank's assets in the United States will be frozen.

Additionally, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control is issuing an alert describing sanctions risks related to Russia's System for Transfer of Financial Messages, which the United States said was created and used by the Russian government "to evade sanctions".

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"Today's sanctions targeting Russia's largest remaining non-designated bank, as well as dozens of other financial institutions and officials in Russia, will further diminish and degrade Russia's war machine," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.

Yellen added that the United States "will continue to take decisive steps against any financial channels" that support Russia in its conflict with Ukraine.