Latest news with #UkrainianDroneStrikes
CNN
a day ago
- General
- CNN
As Ukraine batters Russia with daring assaults, firebrand pro-Kremlin pundits rattle nuclear sabres
How will Moscow respond to the stunning Ukrainian drone strikes on its fleet of strategic aircraft? So far, the Kremlin has stayed tight-lipped, saying only that it is waiting for the results of a formal investigation into the attacks, which struck air bases thousands of miles from the Ukraine border. But fury is being openly vented across the Russia media, with pro-Kremlin pundits and bloggers seething with calls for retribution, even nuclear retaliation. 'This is not just a pretext but a reason to launch nuclear strikes on Ukraine,' the prominent 'Two Majors' bloggers said on their popular Telegram channel, which has over a million subscribers. 'After the mushroom cloud you can think about who lied, made mistakes and so on,' they added, referring to the inevitable Kremlin search for scapegoats for the fiasco. At least one prominent Russian political analyst, Sergei Markov, urged caution, warning in a social media post that using nuclear weapons would 'lead to real political isolation'. But popular blogger Alexander Kots demanded Russia should 'strike with all our might, regardless of the consequences.' Of course, Russian hardliners routinely clammer for the nuclear obliteration of Ukraine, while issuing thinly veiled, but ultimately empty threats of Armageddon aimed at the Western allies. The fact they are doing so again, after such a painful series of attacks, is hardly surprising. But it would be wrong to get too complacent and dismiss all Russian nuclear saber-rattling as mere propaganda. In fact, there are some worrying reasons to take the slim possibility of a devastating Russian response a little more seriously this time around. Firstly, several Russian pundits have commented on how Ukraine's destruction of a significant number of Russian strategic nuclear bombers may be interpreted as breaching Moscow's legal nuclear threshold. Video obtained by CNN appears to show Russian combat planes burning on the tarmac following a large scale Ukrainian drone attack. CNN cannot independently verify the location of the videos but a source in the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said the drone strikes targeted four airbases deep inside Russia. The Kremlin's recently updated nuclear doctrine – which sets out conditions for a launch – states that any attack on 'critically important' military infrastructure which 'disrupts response actions by nuclear forces' could trigger a nuclear retaliation. The Ukrainian operation was 'grounds for a nuclear attack,' declared Vladmir Solovyov, a firebrand host on Russian state TV, calling for strikes on the Ukrainian presidential office in Kyiv, and beyond. Whatever the legality, the barrier for a Russian nuclear response remains mercifully high and such a strike is likely to be dismissed in Kremlin circles as an impractical overkill. For a start, it would poison relations with key Russian trading partners like China and India, as well as provoke potential military action against Russian forces. Inevitable mass casualties would be certain to invite universal scorn, further isolating Russia on the international stage. But here's the problem: the Kremlin may now feel overwhelming pressure to restore deterrence. It's not just the recent Ukrainian drone strikes, deep inside Russia, that have humiliated Moscow. Shortly afterwards, Ukraine staged yet another bold attack on the strategic Kerch bridge linking Russia with Crimea – the third time the vital road and rail link has been hit. The capture by Ukrainian forces of the Kursk region in western Russia last year dealt another powerful blow, leaving the Kremlin struggling to liberate its own land. Meanwhile, weekly, if not daily, drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and airports continue to cause widespread disruption far from the front lines. At the same time, Ukraine's allies have been gradually lifting restrictions on the use of Western-supplied arms against Russia, further challenging what were once believed to be Moscow's red lines. Few doubt the Kremlin is itching to respond decisively, but how? One former Russian minister told CNN the most likely response by Moscow would be more 'barbaric' conventional missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities of the kind that the people of Ukraine have already suffered for years. 'There's no other way to go, because Russia does not have the capacity to launch a massive military offensive. They don't have enough personnel for it,' said Vladimir Milov, a former deputy energy minister now living outside of Russia. 'People talk about potential use of nuclear weapons and so on. I don't think this is on the table. But, again, Putin has shown many times that he is resorting to barbarity and revenge.' In other words, highly unlikely, but the nuclear option can't be entirely discounted. This Ukraine conflict has already taken multiple unexpected turns, not least the full-scale Russian invasion itself in 2022. And while Ukraine and its supporters revel in the stunning successes of recent military operations, poking a humiliated and wounded Russian bear may yield dangerous and frightening consequences.
CNN
a day ago
- General
- CNN
As Ukraine batters Russia with daring assaults, firebrand pro-Kremlin pundits rattle nuclear sabres
How will Moscow respond to the stunning Ukrainian drone strikes on its fleet of strategic aircraft? So far, the Kremlin has stayed tight-lipped, saying only that it is waiting for the results of a formal investigation into the attacks, which struck air bases thousands of miles from the Ukraine border. But fury is being openly vented across the Russia media, with pro-Kremlin pundits and bloggers seething with calls for retribution, even nuclear retaliation. 'This is not just a pretext but a reason to launch nuclear strikes on Ukraine,' the prominent 'Two Majors' bloggers said on their popular Telegram channel, which has over a million subscribers. 'After the mushroom cloud you can think about who lied, made mistakes and so on,' they added, referring to the inevitable Kremlin search for scapegoats for the fiasco. At least one prominent Russian political analyst, Sergei Markov, urged caution, warning in a social media post that using nuclear weapons would 'lead to real political isolation'. But popular blogger Alexander Kots demanded Russia should 'strike with all our might, regardless of the consequences.' Of course, Russian hardliners routinely clammer for the nuclear obliteration of Ukraine, while issuing thinly veiled, but ultimately empty threats of Armageddon aimed at the Western allies. The fact they are doing so again, after such a painful series of attacks, is hardly surprising. But it would be wrong to get too complacent and dismiss all Russian nuclear saber-rattling as mere propaganda. In fact, there are some worrying reasons to take the slim possibility of a devastating Russian response a little more seriously this time around. Firstly, several Russian pundits have commented on how Ukraine's destruction of a significant number of Russian strategic nuclear bombers may be interpreted as breaching Moscow's legal nuclear threshold. Video obtained by CNN appears to show Russian combat planes burning on the tarmac following a large scale Ukrainian drone attack. CNN cannot independently verify the location of the videos but a source in the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said the drone strikes targeted four airbases deep inside Russia. The Kremlin's recently updated nuclear doctrine – which sets out conditions for a launch – states that any attack on 'critically important' military infrastructure which 'disrupts response actions by nuclear forces' could trigger a nuclear retaliation. The Ukrainian operation was 'grounds for a nuclear attack,' declared Vladmir Solovyov, a firebrand host on Russian state TV, calling for strikes on the Ukrainian presidential office in Kyiv, and beyond. Whatever the legality, the barrier for a Russian nuclear response remains mercifully high and such a strike is likely to be dismissed in Kremlin circles as an impractical overkill. For a start, it would poison relations with key Russian trading partners like China and India, as well as provoke potential military action against Russian forces. Inevitable mass casualties would be certain to invite universal scorn, further isolating Russia on the international stage. But here's the problem: the Kremlin may now feel overwhelming pressure to restore deterrence. It's not just the recent Ukrainian drone strikes, deep inside Russia, that have humiliated Moscow. Shortly afterwards, Ukraine staged yet another bold attack on the strategic Kerch bridge linking Russia with Crimea – the third time the vital road and rail link has been hit. The capture by Ukrainian forces of the Kursk region in western Russia last year dealt another powerful blow, leaving the Kremlin struggling to liberate its own land. Meanwhile, weekly, if not daily, drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and airports continue to cause widespread disruption far from the front lines. At the same time, Ukraine's allies have been gradually lifting restrictions on the use of Western-supplied arms against Russia, further challenging what were once believed to be Moscow's red lines. Few doubt the Kremlin is itching to respond decisively, but how? One former Russian minister told CNN the most likely response by Moscow would be more 'barbaric' conventional missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities of the kind that the people of Ukraine have already suffered for years. 'There's no other way to go, because Russia does not have the capacity to launch a massive military offensive. They don't have enough personnel for it,' said Vladimir Milov, a former deputy energy minister now living outside of Russia. 'People talk about potential use of nuclear weapons and so on. I don't think this is on the table. But, again, Putin has shown many times that he is resorting to barbarity and revenge.' In other words, highly unlikely, but the nuclear option can't be entirely discounted. This Ukraine conflict has already taken multiple unexpected turns, not least the full-scale Russian invasion itself in 2022. And while Ukraine and its supporters revel in the stunning successes of recent military operations, poking a humiliated and wounded Russian bear may yield dangerous and frightening consequences.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Steve Bannon warns Ukraine risks escalating war after drone strikes
Key Trump allies have condemned the Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian nuclear bombers, warning the attacks risked escalating the conflict at a time when Washington is trying to keep both sides at the negotiating table. Steve Bannon, the White House chief strategist during Donald Trump's first term, used a Second World War comparison as he pointed out that Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, launched the operation just a day ahead of talks in Turkey. 'On the eve of peace talks or ceasefire talks he takes the Japanese role in Pearl Harbor – the sneak attack,' he said on his popular War Room show. He called on the Trump administration to immediately condemn the strikes if it had no warning that Ukraine was planning such a huge attack. Mr Bannon and his allies fear the world is hurtling towards a Third World War, as China and Russia deepen ties, and flashpoints ignite around the world. A day earlier, Ukrainian officials said the surprise drone offensive had destroyed or damaged more than 40 warplanes at air bases deep inside Russia. Operation 'Spiders Web', 18 months in the planning, targeted strategic bombers capable of launching nuclear weapons.
Russia Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kiev's Western backers to blame for massive drone strikes on civilians
Kiev's Western backers, including the EU and the UK, bear responsibility for the latest series of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian civilians, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has told a Q&A session in Moscow. Western nations want to disrupt the renewed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as they pursue their narrow political goals, he said. The minister was referring to a series of large-scale drone raids launched by Kiev's forces this week. According to the Russian military, 776 drones and 12 missiles were intercepted above the country's territory between Tuesday and Friday morning, while 12 drones hit their targets. On Saturday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that another 104 UAVs had been intercepted inside Russia overnight. Kiev's aggressive actions are due to the support that 'some European nations led by the UK, France, Germany, and the EU leadership' lend to the 'Ukrainian Nazis,' Lavrov said on Friday. 'We are convinced that they bear their share of responsibility for these crimes,' he stated, adding that Moscow would seek to 'put an end to this policy.' Lavrov said the goal of Kiev's backers was to disrupt the peace talks that were renewed in Istanbul last week after President Vladimir Putin offered to resume negotiations without any preconditions. Russia is currently 'actively working' on a draft peace proposal and will be ready to present it to the Ukrainian side following a major prisoner exchange being carried out by Moscow and Kiev over the weekend, he said. Moscow is committed to peace 'despite any provocations,' the minister stated. The EU and the UK are only 'fueling' the conflict and encouraging Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky and his government to continue the bloodshed, Russia's top diplomat said. Even their calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire are a disguise for a desire to continue pumping Ukraine with weapons, Lavrov believes. 'They've bet their reputation on dragging Europe into a war against Russia to facilitate the militarization of Europe,' the minister warned, adding that Western governments plan to allocate 'huge sums' of money to that goal. 'There is certainly Europe's responsibility' in prolonging the Ukraine conflict, Lavrov said. He added that EU leaders would 'find it hard to shed this responsibility.'
