“Drone Attack on Moscow: Ukraine and Russia Point Fingers, Nuclear Threat Looms”

The drone attack on Moscow has caused quite a stir internationally. For example, Russia is angry that the US is approving the attack by not condemning it. The British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, believes that Ukraine would do well by defending. However, according to correspondent Joost Bosman, the Russian security services ‘have a problem anyway’.

It is not yet known whether Ukraine is indeed behind the drone attack. An adviser to President Zelensky said sarcastically in response: “We look forward to it with pleasure. Maybe these were Russian drones that just didn’t want to fly to Ukraine and kill children there.’

Also read | Who is behind drone strikes in Moscow? Both Ukraine and Russia are not excluded

If it is indeed about Ukrainian drones, then Russia “has a problem,” says Bosman from Moscow. ‘Because then the Russian air defenses have not worked properly. But, when it comes to Russian drones, how did they end up in Russia itself? Either way, the security services have a problem.’

Nuclear threat

If those attacks become more frequent, the Russians will initially step up their own attacks, thinks Bosman. ‘The use of nuclear weapons does not seem likely to me at the moment, but you don’t really know what tricks they have left in the box.’ The Russians have said before that they will use nuclear weapons if they are fired upon.

Also read | Russian missiles in response to drone strikes; ‘they can’t do much else’

It is understandable that Ukraine is biting itself off, thinks Bosman. “They have been bombarded with rockets almost every week for a year.” But this puts them at risk, he emphasises. “They are jeopardizing Western support. The question is also to what extent they lose goodwill in international society if they are guilty of the same practices that Russia is guilty of.’

Live blog | Day 461 of the war in Ukraine

Belgorod

The Russian border town of Belgorod has been bombed by Ukrainians for the third time in a week. This time it would be an old sanatorium that was shot at, a guard was killed and two men were injured. ‘That is not new in that region and no coincidence that it has now happened again. I think the Ukrainians want to fight on several fronts at the same time.’

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