Russia's defense ministry is working on how to respond if the US and its NATO allies help Ukraine launch long-range Western missiles deep into Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this in an interview on Russian state television on Sunday (October 27). British news agency Reuters reported this news.
The more than two-year war in Ukraine has marked Russia's biggest conflict with the West since the Cold War. Russian officials say the war has now entered its most dangerous phase.
Russia has been warning the US and its allies for weeks. If they allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory, Moscow will consider this a major escalation. On September 12, Putin said that such a move would be tantamount to direct war with the Western military alliance NATO, the United States and European countries. Because NATO's military infrastructure and personnel will participate in the attack on missile targets.
Putin said it was too early to say how Russia would react to a possible long-range attack by Ukraine. However, various defense options are being considered.
The US has not publicly announced any decision to allow Ukraine to attack Russian territory. But some US officials believe such a move would not significantly change the outcome of the war. Ukraine's military is already using long-range drones to strike deep into Russia.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian military bloggers claim that Russian forces have taken control of the town of Selidove in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The control was confirmed a week after Russian forces invaded the city.
Putin has been referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine as a fight between Russia and the West. He claimed that the West had ignored Russia's interests since the collapse of the Soviet Union. On the other hand, Ukraine and the country's Western allies call Putin's war an imperialist aggression. According to them, if Russia wins this war, the authoritarian countries of the world will become more emboldened.
Putin changed Russia's nuclear policy just weeks before the US presidential election. According to the Kremlin, the discussion of missile strikes from Ukraine is an attempt to express concern to the Western world.
In response to a question in the interview, Putin said, “I hope they have heard our warning.” Because, of course, we also have to make some decisions for ourselves.
He added that only NATO officials would be able to use such weapons inside Russia and that they would have to use Western satellite data. So the main question is whether they will dare to strike deep into Russia or not.
US officials say the US does not want to escalate the conflict. But how the new US president will react to the war is still uncertain. Former President Donald Trump said he would end the war in Ukraine. On the other hand, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris said that she will continue to support Ukraine.
