Moscow – Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine has secured the “complete strategic initiative” for Moscow, according to President Vladimir Putin, who announced the capture of nearly 5,000 square kilometers of territory so far this year.
Addressing his most senior military commanders, Putin projected an image of a confident and successful war effort. He asserted that this strategic advantage is now firmly in Russia’s hands and that Ukrainian attacks within Russia cannot change this fact.
While the Kremlin celebrated its territorial gains, the government in Kyiv was sounding the alarm about a different kind of Russian aggression. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of using its oil tanker fleet to conduct spying and sabotage.
Zelenskyy vowed that this would be countered, stating that Ukraine is working in close partnership with its allies to find a solution. He confidently declared that “it is entirely possible to stop this.”
The international situation was further complicated by Putin’s stark warning to the United States. He stated that the delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would be a major escalation, requiring American military involvement and resulting in the destruction of their bilateral relationship.