The Russian president has been afflicted with the syndrome of the poker player who repeatedly loses, adopting the risky strategy of raising the stakes in the hope of a winning card. But a professional knows that such a plan, more often than not, ends badly.
Starting from mid-April, several drones circled Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base 57, Constanța county. The raids were launched from unknown locations, using commercially available aircraft, flying at low altitudes, Defense Ministry officials said.
It was not an isolated incident, but over the course of several days, the military base, which hosts NATO air forces involved in security operations on the alliance’s eastern flank, was the target of an intelligence-gathering program.
There have been 16 security incidents so far, and the Romanian authorities have not been able to catch their perpetrators.
“The drones, which were observed by electronic, optical and visual means, were small in size, most likely of a commercial type and evolved at low speeds and at low altitudes,” the statement of the Ministry of National Defense states.
“According to the procedures, all measures were taken to maintain safety in the airspace, and the civil air traffic authorities were informed about this situation. Electronic warfare-type countermeasures were also repeatedly applied,” the ministry’s report states.
A courier company, the target of the Kremlin
In an article published by the British newspaper “Financial Times” on May 5, it is written that the governments of the European states were alerted by the intelligence agencies that Russia is planning a series of sabotage actions on the entire continent.
In early May, several warehouses in east London caught fire.
More than 60 firefighters battled the flames for around four hours to extinguish the blaze.
The warehouses belonged to Mikhail Boikov, a businessman with dual Ukrainian and British citizenship.
Before the British fire, the Spanish warehouses of the same businessman had mysteriously caught fire and been destroyed.
Our country is currently being ruled by a liar, a thief and a criminal, but this will surely end. Don’t give up, the truth will prevail. With each of his mandates, everything gets worse and it’s scary to imagine what will happen while Putin remains in power
Iulia Navalnaia, the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, eliminated by the Kremlin regime
Boikov, 49, has lived in Britain for 20 years and is the owner of a courier company, Meest, the British daily “The Times” reports.
Through his company, he carried out several humanitarian transports to Ukraine, using a fleet of 50 TIRs.
The burning of warehouses in the two countries was a Russian operation carried out by former Wagner mercenaries, five of whom have been arrested, British officials said.
NATO accuses Russia of sabotage
On May 3, a German arms factory, which belongs to the Diehl Metal industrial group and makes, among other things, an anti-aircraft defense system transferred to the Ukrainian army, was also engulfed in flames.
In the last two months, Russia’s sabotage operations in Europe have intensified, and the alert of the intelligence services is based on the documentation of dozens of incidents, but also on the attempts thwarted by the authorities.
Military units, weapons factories, transport networks and businesses of investors who help Ukraine are targeted.
By launching such operations, Russia is upping the ante, trying to discourage those who support the cause of Ukraine, but to slow its transfer of weapons, ammunition and military equipment.
“Allies note with concern that Russia is targeting national governments, critical infrastructure and other entities of NATO member states, including Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden, which demonstrates continued irresponsible behavior by Russia…, which endangers democratic institutions, governmental entities and service providers from the entire European Union and beyond”, NATO representatives announced in an official statement.
The escalation of hybrid warfare
The events of the last two months are a strong signal that Vladimir Putin is changing his strategy, and the war he started is no longer just one aimed at conquering Ukraine, but also one with the “collective West”, as Russian officials call the Western states.
The new actions represent an expansion of the “hybrid war”, until now, a predominantly digital one, executed by hackers with the mission to extract data and cause slowdowns and malfunctions in the computer networks of an entity considered to be an enemy.
It is important… not to forget the tragic cost of internal turmoil and unrest. Therefore, our state and socio-political system must be strong and absolutely resistant to any challenges and threats, ensuring the progress and stability of development, the unity and independence of the country
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
But the Kremlin leader decided to take it to a new level, sending agents on the ground to form teams of saboteurs with the aim of physically destroying certain targets on the territory of Europe and America.
But such an escalation of the conflict and expansion to the NATO states also indicates that Vladimir Putin no longer has too many illusions regarding a possible major political change in the West and an end to the war, through negotiations, in favor of Russia.
“We have been and will continue to be open to strengthening good relations with all countries that see Russia as a reliable, honest partner. And this is, indeed, the position of the majority of the states of the world”, declared Vladimir Putin, on the occasion of taking the oath for a new mandate as president.
“We do not refuse to engage in dialogue with Western countries. The choice is theirs: whether they intend to continue trying to curb Russia’s development, to continue their policy of aggression and relentless pressure on our country, exercised over the years, or to seek a path to cooperation and peace. I repeat: a discussion, including on issues of security and strategic stability, is possible. But not from a position of strength, but without any arrogance, arrogance and exceptionalism, but only on an equal footing, respecting the interests of the other”, said the Russian president.
Ukraine will be helped to the end
And from this speech comes the lack of illusions, but also Putin’s determination to stay in power at any cost, which means the impossibility of admitting defeat.
US aid of more than 60 billion dollars has again changed the meaning of the conflict, Ukrainian forces, with all the steps backwards made in recent weeks, managed to stabilize the front and once again give problems to the Russian army.
Counterintelligence and SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) investigators foiled FSB (formerly KGB) plans to eliminate the President of Ukraine and other representatives of the top military and political leadership. The attack was supposed to be a gift to Putin on the occasion of his inauguration
Vasil Maliuk, head of SBU
European states have also taken important steps to restart ammunition production, which will surpass that of Russia at the end of this year, and more and more projectiles, weapons and military equipment have begun to be made in Ukraine following Western investment .
The approval of American aid by Congress meant, in reality, a major political decision to support Ukraine to the end – the moment of withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories.
This has also been understood by Vladimir Putin, who is trying to find a magical solution to turn fate in his favor again.
The attempted assassination of Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials, uncovered by Kiev’s intelligence services, is part of the Kremlin’s new strategy to inflict maximum damage behind the front since the war cannot be won on the battlefield. the fight.
“If Vladimir Putin and Russian officials are worried that their troops in Ukraine will be hit with weapons from other countries, then the easiest thing they can do to protect them is to order them to withdraw,” said John Kirby , the US president’s national security advisor, in a press conference.
It remains to be seen how much room for maneuver Putin really has, should he take the first steps to find a solution to withdraw from Ukraine while remaining in power.
