Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Monday to ramp up attacks on Ukraine in response to the Ukrainian strike on Russia’s Belgorod Oblast.
“They want to intimidate us and create uncertainty within our country. We will intensify strikes. Not a single crime against our civilian population will go unpunished,” Putin said during a New Year’s Day visit to a military hospital, according to AP.
Ukraine targeted Belgorod in a missile attack on Saturday, the most significant Ukrainian strike on Russian territory of the war. It came a day after Russia launched what was said to be its largest missile and drone attack across Ukraine, killing 31, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast said Monday that the death toll in the Ukrainian attack had risen to 25 civilians. Putin insisted Russia’s strikes in retaliation would only be aimed at military facilities, although Ukrainian officials said the 31 killed on Friday were civilians.
“Of course, we can hit public squares in Kyiv and in any other Ukrainian city,” Putin said. “I understand — I’m boiling with rage — but do we need to hit civilians? No. We are hitting military targets, and that’s what we will keep doing.”
Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian officials said Russia launched a major drone barrage across Ukraine that was described as the biggest Russian drone attack of the war.
As it’s become clear that Ukrainian forces can’t beat Russian forces on the battlefield and war fatigue is growing in the West, Ukraine has been stepping up sabotage and other types of attacks inside Russian territory. The Ukrainian operations risk provoking a clash between Russia and NATO as Moscow believes Kyiv would not be able to strike inside Russian territory without Western support.
Russian officials said that Ukraine used a Czech-made multiple-launch rocket system armed with cluster bombs to carry out its strike on Belgorod on Saturday. Ukraine’s Western backers are also implicated in sabotage attacks and assassinations that have happened inside Russia, as a recent report from The Washington Post revealed how the CIA helped build up Ukrainian intelligence agencies since 2014.
These attacks on undisputed Russian territory by Ukraine are nothing more than dangerous PR stunts. They have no military purpose or value. It’s hard to think of any good reason to launch them other than to pretend to the Ukrainian public and the deluded masses in the Western enabler nations that there remains some chance of Ukrainian victory, thus providing cover for the shameless politicians who want to keep pumping billions into this hopeless bloody mess.
Unfortunately for Ukraine, although the attacks serve no military purpose, they do trigger Russian retaliation, and Ukraine can ill afford more Russian retaliation.
Stupid, self-destructive behavior.
The problem is Russia is always reactive, never proactive. They should have blown up government buildings and roads leading into Ukraine 2 years ago, instead they allow the government to function and Ukraine to be flooded with weapons. Not too bright.
Ukraine is governed from Washington. What government buildings you are talking about?
Roads are easy to repair. Actually, it is much cheaper to repair them than to destroy. The bridges are also not such easy targets. A lot of them were destroyed and recreated again in those two years. Besides, Russia is not interested in a blitzkrieg.
Talking about the Rada building the Parliament of Ukraine. But Putin has avoided flattening it I believe because he believes, i think, he will be able to have good relations with Ukraine once again when the Nazis are driven out and good Ukrainians will want to put all the strife the Clinton Nuland coup caused out. Can anyone here think of another reason why Putin lets the Rada stand, and why he is not attacking the transit system????
The Nazis!! Lol
GTFOH with that BS you tankie.
Russia fuked up so bad, He lost Ukraine forever. An entire nation that wants nothing to do with Russia. Nothing.
Only delusional kremlin sick commies believe it’s possible.
Ha.
Putin fuked up big time and there’s no turning back for Ukrainians.
Parliament of Ukraine decides nothing. Ukrainian generals are hiding. For example, Zaluzhny was wounded as a result of Russian missile attack. To destroy Ukrainian parliament or to kill Zelensky would only harm Russia because they are just puppets and yet they are symbols of Ukrainian state. Many Ukrainians are believing they should have an independent state. There are no need to antagonize them unnecessarily. Russia is attacking Ukrainian infrastructure but there are limits to what Russian army can do. The missiles are expensive; one can’t waste them on unworthy targets which are cheap to repair.
Putin did not know his military was incompetent. He believed the hype — just like you tankies did.
Slava Ukraini!
For an incompetent military the Russians certainly seem to be doing a spectacular job keeping the Ukraine military in dire straights with manpower, weapons, and ammunition on their back-foot at nearly evert turn with no air force or Navy & now replacing their men lost with women. This does not sound so very competent. to me
I think you have no idea of the reality of the situation in Ukraine. You seem to be only gettin news from RT or the Russian MOD. That’s OK. You probably need that to reinforce your cognitive dissonance. That keeps you in tankie heaven!
Yeah, funny reality.
Nothing spectacular to point out on the Russian side.
The little guy is kicking the so called second biggest army in world’s ass.
That’s a huge embarrassment.
But you go ahead and repeat the RT news crap no one believes anymore.
Putin should be mad at himself – this is one of the consequences of fighting a half ass war. Notice that everything Russia does is reactive, never proactive. Russia should have mobilized 2 million troops, tens of thousands of tanks and heavy guns and crushed Ukraine quickly. Instead he has allowed this to drag on for nearly 2 years. Russia has left the Polish Ukrainian border open allowing Ukraine to be flooded with weapons, instead of blowing up the infrastructure leading into Poland, and allows the Ukrainian government to function instead of blowing up government buildings. According to Putin’s spokesman Peskov, Russia leaves the Ukrainian border open because it wants to save Ukrainian infrastructure.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/p4Nx2l5WaGcS/
I have been a supporter of Putin for years – he’s a good man who has done good things for Russia, but he has no clue how to fight a war. It’s more important for Putin to save Ukrainian infrastructure than Russian lives! He’s just too soft to run a war.
“Russia leaves the Ukrainian border open because it wants to save Ukrainian infrastructure.”
Yes, because Russia is going to be living next to Ukraine for as long as both nations exist and has no interest in destroying the country beyond what it determines is militarily necessary. And, importantly, Russia has no interest at all in fighting a hot war with NATO that everyone (everyone!) would lose.
Also, the expansive war you envision could not be fought and won without sending ground troops across all of Ukraine in multiple big arrow offensive operations. That would certainly mean many, many more casualties, for fighters on both sides and for Ukrainian civilians, than the already-bloody mess now ongoing. And at the end, Russia would have to occupy and pacify places where most of the population hates Russians. All in all, it’s not an attractive or wise option.
Russia has hit targets in western Ukraine before, and NATO didn’t get directly involved. If Russia blows up Ukrainian roads leading into Poland it will not result in a hot war with NATO. Even if Russia hits NATO bases in Poland there is nothing NATO can do other than launch nukes. They have been depleted of weapons the last 2 years by sending them to be destroyed by Russia or sold on the black market. They can’t even defend themselves against “refugees” overrunning them.
It’s obviously necessary to keep NATO weapons from entering Ukraine, but Putin doesn’t think so. It’s more important to save Ukraine’s infrastructure than Russian lives.
“Even if Russia hits NATO bases in Poland there is nothing NATO can do other than launch nukes.”
I’m not voting for you as commander-in-chief. 🙄
If I was commander in chief I would be urging honest diplomacy and a return to arms agreements like SALT I and the 1987 INF treaty. And If I was Russia I would respond with force to NATO aggression, because that is the only language they understand. And I certainly wouldn’t leave the Ukrainian border open or let the Ukrainian government operate.
“And If I was Russia I would respond with force to NATO aggression, because that is the only language they understand.”
Russia is, finally, responding with force. It seems that it is carefully modulating that force, probably for the very good reason that not doing so could easily trigger World War Last.
There is always the possibility of nuclear war, but at least Russia should cut NATO off from oil, especially the U.S.
Russia never had million of troops nor tens of thousands of tanks.
It was just on paper hence their new name “paper tiger”
They fooled the West but now everyone knows they were full of it.
Please stop the BS of Putin wanting to be nice to Ukraine. He would’ve crushed Ukraine by now if he could. He just can’t do sh!t with his inept Army against a very capable smaller one.
Russia’s standing army was 900,000 2 years ago (according to the CIA world factbook), and it’s now about 1.3 million with volunteers. Putin chose a limited invasion with mercenaries, volunteers, convicts and Chechens. The purpose was to get Ukraine to negotiate, which they did in May 2022, until the UK pressured them to keep fighting. Russia only began a partial mobilization last October. They are not a paper tiger. They built strong defenses last winter. In 5 months Ukraine was never able to reach the first line and suffered around 70,000 casualties. They have air and artillery superiority. And Russia is making gains in most areas, while committing attrition on Ukraine’s troops.
https://www.youtube.com/@historylegends/videos
Russia’s half ass war is mostly limited to Eastern Ukraine. Trust me, if this was Stalin or Khrushchev Ukraine would have been leveled.
Putin is a mafia thug and a genocidal maniac.
He’s a saint compared to America, the rest of NATO, and Israel. And Ukraine was killing their own Russian speaking citizens in eastern Ukraine for 8 years.
RUSSIA’S OWN FALSE FLAG ATTACK ON BELGOROD
After shelling Belgorod, Russia botched the cover up and claimed the attacks were conducted by BM-21 Grad equivalent 122mm RM-70 MLRS, which has a range of 20-25km. Yet, strikes occurred more than 35km from the border with Ukraine.
https://ukrainetoday.org/russias-own-false-flag-attack-on-belgorod/
It should be recalled that during Pootin’s invasion of Chechnya from 200-2008, he bombed Russian apartments, killing about 300 of his own citizens, just to have an excuse to massacre civilians in Chechnya.
But even if the Belgorad incident wasn’t a false flag, it must have been that Russia shot down Ukrainian missiles heading for military targets and the damage was cause by the errant missile or falling debris–because, unlike Russia, Ukraine has never targeted civilians.
“Ukrainian sources in law enforcement agencies told the media that the Ukrainian strikes on 30 December were aimed at Russian military facilities near Belgorod.”
“And the Russian Defence Ministry said Russian air defences shot down 12 Ukrainian multiple-launch missile system missiles in Belgorod Oblast on 29 December and several more Ukrainian MLRS missiles near Belgorod during the day on 30 December.”
https://ukrainetoday.org/ukrainian-drones-strike-many-targets-in-russia-isw/
The Putin lovers here take offense if anyone says anything negative about him.
It’s an unfortunate new antiwar blog trend.
There’s a human tendency to fall into a “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” mindset, and then to stumble from there into a “the enemy of my enemy is Elvis, Evel Knievel, and the True Pope all in one” mindset.
Usually, the enemy of your enemy is just your other enemy.
That’s just a Pootin talking point.
Yes. They. Can. Beat. Russia. If they get the weapons they need in a timely manner.
Killing Russians By The Truckload Around Avdiivka, Ukraine’s M-2 Fighting Vehicles Are Showing How Russia Loses—And Ukraine Wins
https://ukrainetoday.org/killing-russians-by-the-truckload-around-avdiivka-ukraines-m-2-fighting-vehicles-are-showing-how-russia-loses-and-ukraine-wins/
“Putin vows” – Putin vowed only in time of his inauguration. There are no reasons for him to vow again.
Kiev authorities are attacking civilians regularly almost 10 years in a non-stop regime. That was one of the reasons why Russian army is involved in this military conflict. Russian authorities explained repeatedly that their goal is the demilitarization and the denazification of Ukraine.
Zelensky is so smart. He is using Ukrainians as cannon fodders and Ukraine as target practice for Russian missiles. That’s one sure way to accomplish his sneaky plan for “the demilitarization” of Russia. We will know his plan is successful when the Russian strategic bombers start using Russian shovels instead of missiles.
We all know he is trying to save his own ass and keep the personal gravy train running.
Not sure your comment makes any more sense than Zelinsky’s fixation on Crimea.One thing is sure, Ukies do not have the big MO..!!!
Thank you for noticing. LOL. By the way, Sense, my old friend, and I parted ways a long time ago. Otherwise I would not be making such stupid comments.
A most accurate proverb for the actions of Ukraine going back to 2014.
They have invited death and destruction by believing in NATO and NEOCON promises by the not so bright Western Globalists.
“Proverb. sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. Every
decision has consequences; a person’s actions will come back to them;
if one starts trouble or takes actions in spite of the discontent they
cause, one will incur negative consequences.”
A Special Military Operation or Police Action without all out total war increases the cost in lives and time exponentially higher.
Lying by omission, an example:
Dave makes it sound like Russia was targeting civilians like the criminal Kiev regime does when it attacks Belgorow and Donetsk. What Russia actually targeted were parts of Kiev’s war machine: Radar installations, arms factories, power stations, etc. This above all serves to deplete Ukraine’s anti-air missiles, mainly built during Soviet times. Ukraine’s regime could avoid this at any time by agreeing to stop their murderous plans against the civilians in Donbass.
That the Russians aren’t what Dave makes them sound like, is shown by that they could bomb Kiev’s presidential residence, war ministry and other government ministries at any time, but don’t. They never have. By contrast, the regime has used drones, without doubt guided by the criminal Biden regime exploiting what Americans have invented, to attack the Kremlin in an attempt to murder the Russian president.
Agreed. There’s a recent article that is titled Israel kills “militants” in Syria. Like we should believe Israel’s assessment they’re “militants.”. However, it is most likely not intentional.
The “ peaceful adult in the room” vows to ramp up attacks on Ukraine.
The kremlin circus running around like headless chickens. 🤣
“As it’s become clear that Ukrainian forces can’t beat Russian forces on the battlefield and war fatigue is growing in the West, Ukraine has been stepping up sabotage and other types of attacks inside Russian territory.“
This is such a Dave DeCamp signature pro Russia comment as usual.
Here’s a flip to it which is as true:
“As it’s become clear that Russian forces can’t beat Ukrainian forces on the battlefield and war fatigue is growing in the kremlin, Russia has been stepping up sabotage and other types of attacks inside Ukrainian territory. “
And Putin can ramp up attacks as much as he can, Ukraine will ramp up too and with greater damage. His sh!t Army cannot achieve its war objectives.
“”Putin vowed on Monday to ramp up attacks on Ukraine …””
sure, according to uncle sam.
oh wait, if uncle sam said it then it must be true.
hey remember the Weapons of Mass Destruction?
i remember. it was all about 9/11 – WMD, republicans said “suck it world!”
let’s pretend that we are not living in the New American Century.
what