President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has issued a warning, stating that if Russia repeats its strategy from last winter of bombarding Ukrainian power plants, Ukraine will escalate attacks on Russia. This strategy left millions of Ukrainians without power, heat, and water during freezing temperatures.
Mr. Zelensky made this statement during an interview with the CBS News show “60 Minutes.” He emphasized that Ukraine has the capability to reach targets deep inside Russia.
According to a transcript released by “60 Minutes,” Mr. Zelensky said, ”If you cut off our power, deprive us of electricity, deprive us of water, deprive us of gasoline, you need to know we have the right to do it” too. He also accused Russian leader Vladimir V. Putin of ordering attacks on civilian targets in an attempt to “break” the spirit of the Ukrainians.
Last winter, Russia attempted to weaponize the weather, but ultimately failed. However, this year, Ukraine is threatening to do the same to Russians, primarily using attack drones.
In recent months, there has been a significant increase in the frequency of drone attacks on Russian targets. These drones have targeted a crucial bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, damaged Russian naval ships, and posed a threat to the border region of Belgorod. They have even penetrated deep inside Russian borders, reaching as far as the greater Moscow region, although they have not caused significant damage there.
Although Ukraine does not officially acknowledge attacks inside Russian territory, Mr. Zelensky and other top officials have expressed their intention to bring the war to ordinary Russians. During the “60 Minutes” interview, Mr. Zelensky remained ambiguous about the strikes, but mentioned that Ukrainian drones have targeted the Kremlin, warplanes, and Moscow high rises.
Mr. Zelensky clarified that he does not personally order the drone attacks and that Ukraine only uses weapons provided by its allies on Ukrainian territory.
He stated, “But Russia needs to know that wherever it is, whichever place they use for launching missiles to strike Ukraine, Ukraine has every moral right to send a response to those places. We are responding to them saying: ‘Your sky is not as well protected as you think.'”
2023-09-18 07:56:34
Post from www.nytimes.com
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