Dmitry Medvedev has often escalated verbally in the Ukraine war. Now the ex-president is possibly talking about a new strategy for the Kremlin.
Moscow – Since the grain agreement expired, Russia has repeatedly shelled the Ukrainian port cities of Odessa and Mykolaiv. The governor of the Odessa region, in the very south of Ukraine, announced on Telegram that the “Russian terrorists” had attacked other targets in the oblast. In the extreme south of the country, right on the border with Romania, Russia fired on the port infrastructure on the Danube. This waterway represents an alternative route for Ukraine to export grain. Russia had announced that it would classify civilian ships in the Black Sea heading for Ukraine as potential enemies.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, has now spoken out. Russia wants “unusual targets” in the future Ukraine attack. But what could this mean for aggressive war?
Medvedev announces new Russian warfare in Ukraine
In his message Telegram Medvedev initially criticized Ukraine and the West: “Our Enemy failed as part of his counteroffensive achieve no success,” it said. Ukraine would therefore need “information victories” – “even if they are hollow and irrational”. The former president accuses Kiev of tackling “increasingly peaceful, civilian targets” out of frustration.
It is Russia that does not shy away from attacks on civilian targets – quite the opposite. The United Nations counts at least 7,212 civilian deaths in Ukraine from Russian attacks (as of July 24, 2023). The number could be much higher, said the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Above all, the rocket fire on residential buildings claims many lives.
Even the “Western patrons” who supply Ukraine with arms and impose sanctions on Russia and Belarus are getting impatient, said Medvedev.
Medvedev wants to attack “not only warehouses, energy distributors and oil tanks”.
In response to the alleged Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets, Medvedev is apparently calling for his own troops to rethink: “We have to choose unusual targets for our attacks. Not just warehouses, energy distributors and oil tanks,” the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council and former president wrote on Telegram. However, Medvedev left it open which goals Russia should tackle instead. However, he promised a “big impact” in places “where we are not yet expected”. It was also not clear whether these attacks were intended to serve any military purpose at all.
For example, since the war of aggression began 17 months ago, Russia has been targeting infrastructure, primarily to paralyze Ukraine’s energy supply and weaken the morale of the population. On June 6, an explosion destroyed the Kakhovka Dam in the Kherson region. Dozens died and thousands had to flee due to flooding. Kiev accuses Russian forces of blowing up the dam. One possible reason for this: the Ukrainian troops were to be made more difficult to counter-offensive.
Now Russia, as can be seen in the Odessa region, is increasingly targeting ports. According to Ukrainian sources, Russia destroyed 60,000 tons of grain in one attack. Russia also damaged the historic Transfiguration Cathedral with a missile. Are “unusual targets” increasingly about those that are as public as possible but less important for the course of the war?
Russia attacks on Ukraine
Ukraine has had several in recent months Drone attacks on Moscow started. Andriy Yusow, spokesman for the military intelligence service HUR, said the Kyiv Post, that these attacks should not only be continued but also be expanded. Weaknesses in the Putin regime’s air defenses have been recognized and they want to continue exploiting them, he said. According to eyewitness reports, the drones circled Moscow for at least ten minutes before moving in the direction of the Ministry of Defense. Possibly an insert to humiliate Russia.
Also with that Attack on the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to Crimea, Ukraine had caused a stir. The bridge is for Russia im Ukraine war important for logistical reasons as it is a supply route for the Russian troops at the front. But the attack was also symbolic. In the Crimean Bridge is Putin’s prestige object. Crimea, illegally annexed in 2014, is seen by Moscow as a natural part of Russia. Ukraine is trying to recapture them. Moscow had announced correspondingly harsh reactions after the explosion, which was probably caused by Ukrainian naval drones. Medvedev threatened the perpetrators with “inhuman” punishment.
Is there now a threat of a kind of escalation spiral with ever larger, “unusual” attacks? During the war, Russia has already leveled several Ukrainian cities by shelling residential buildings, hospitals and schools. (lrg)
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