Following the assault on the Russian capital, the Kremlin has once again issued ominous hints concerning Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy. / © Associated Press
The Kremlin reacted with unease to the drone strikes targeting Moscow. Russian officials, in their characteristic manner, have once again threatened Ukraine.
This is according to a new report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts emphasize that the spokesperson for the “leader,” Dmitry Peskov, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, acknowledged the Ukrainian strikes on Moscow on June 18th and have begun to create an information environment to justify further and intensified strikes against Ukraine.
Peskov stated that Russian air defense systems are functioning effectively, “despite everything.” He likely was referring to the significant number of Ukrainian drones launched. He also asserted that Russia will continue to conduct regular strikes on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers and the ultranationalist community are highlighting the successes of their air defense, expressing considerable disappointment with Russian citizens who “undermined operational security” by posting videos of the strike and its aftermath online.
Furthermore, these so-called military bloggers also criticized the Russian command for not investing in air defense systems against small targets, such as UAVs. They also called for greater Russian involvement in the war effort and encouraged the continuation of attacks on Ukrainian cities to incite mass evacuations.
“The Kremlin will likely use the Ukrainian strikes on Moscow on June 18th to justify Russia’s repeated, devastating, large-scale strike packages against Ukraine. However, the Russian military had already significantly intensified its strike campaign against Ukraine long before Kyiv carried out this attack,” emphasize American specialists.
The Moscow Attack – Russia’s Reaction
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration was significantly unsettled by the strikes on Moscow, though they are generally reluctant to comment on the attack. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, following the Ministry of Defense, boasted about the supposed “high performance of air defense forces.”
Concurrently, Alexey Zhuravlev, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, erupted with radical statements. He brazenly urged the authorities to “begin fighting seriously,” threatening new bombardments of logistics, bridges, tunnels, and railways.
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