The fear started early in the morning. The first were the Americans, who closed their embassy in kyiv due to new information: the Russians were preparing a brutal attack to punish Ukraine and its allies, now that the resistance not only has long-range missiles, but also authorizations. to use them against military targets in Russia. Then come certain European countries, such as Spain or Italy, which justified the closure to their compatriots by the “increased risk” of an air attack against the capital.
The new argument for Russian fury would be the first Ukrainian launch of American-made long-range missiles (ATACMS) on Russian soil, in the Bryansk border region. The Kremlin says there were six, they intercepted five and caused no deaths or material damage. The version leaked by some US officials to media outlets such as Reuters is that there were eight and only two were killed. At noon, it was also learned that the Ukrainians had used the similar model supplied by the British (the Storm Shadow). This time, it will be a question of striking the Kursk region, partially controlled by resistance troops.
During the day, many details emerged about the imminent retaliation that the Russians were supposed to be preparing, with the country’s updated nuclear doctrine. A hypothesis that spread at full speed, with millions of views on social networks like . The idea would be to make it clear that the Kremlin does not threaten lightly, and that when it warns that it can respond with an atomic bomb against anyone who hits its territory, it is very serious. Kyiv, in this sense, would be within our reach.
The day passed and nothing exceptional happened. Ukrainian authorities actually protested. The Foreign Ministry recalled that “on this 1,001st day of large-scale invasion”, the Russian threat “is just as relevant as in the previous 1,001 days”. The country’s military intelligence even denied an alleged statement it authored, warning of a “particularly massive” Russian offensive against Ukrainian cities. “This message is false and contains grammatical errors typical of Russian information and psychological operations”he added. “We urge you to only trust information from official sources.”
There is speculation about why Western diplomats feared that Russia would be tougher than usual, or even come to blows. On November 8, a suicide drone struck the personal home of Annely KolkEstonian Ambassador to Ukraine, which led to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic Republic, Margus Tsahknato recall that Kolk “was lucky to escape unscathed” and that “you don’t have to get used to it”.
Early yesterday, the building where #Estonian amb @AnnelyKolk lives in #Kyiv was hit by a Russian drone.
She was lucky not to be hurt.No one is safe in #Ukraine until Russia stops its aggression. 🇺🇦needs more air defense to protect its inhabitants.
You don’t have to get used to it. pic.twitter.com/bUTz3c5AT6–Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) November 8, 2024
The Russian rise
Since February 2022, the Kremlin has been working to maintain the initiative on all fronts. Last Sunday, Russia carried out one of the cruelest attacks of the year. It fired 120 missiles and 90 drones in one hour against Ukraine. At least ten people died, but the objective was different: to crush, for one more day, the country’s electricity network at the edge of one of its coldest winters. The goal is clear and was summarized by the activist Olena Halushka in an interview for this newspaper: “How is an economy without electricity supposed to thrive in the 21st century?
Currently, two out of three Ukrainian power plants are damaged and authorities are preparing citizens for power outages of up to 20 hours.
To this reality is added another reality. Russia’s collaboration with China, Iran and North Korea is increasingly close. Western intelligence services remain cautious in their targeting Xi Jinping. But the Ayatollah regime is providing thousands of missiles and suicide drones to Putin’s troops for the invasion of a European country. Kim Jong UnFor its part, it provides millions of howitzers and thousands of regular and elite soldiers: reports from NATO allies speak of up to 100,000 men at the Kremlin’s disposal.
The missiles used yesterday and the day before by Ukrainian troops with the approval of London and Washington were aimed at weapons depots and other military targets, and no regular troops from Western powers are fighting alongside the Ukrainians. The Kremlin, however, is trying to convince Western public opinion that it is defensive efforts against Russian attacks that are aggravating the conflict. In this reading, it is Volodymyr Zelensky which draws the United States and Europe into a nuclear war against Russia.
Some US security experts argue that the Biden administration is trying to step up its support for Ukraine before Trump took office, and is therefore now taking steps that it had opposed over the previous thousand days. Russia, meanwhile, focuses on psychological warfare to win against the fear and exhaustion of its victims’ allies.
