MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian troops, according to a senior ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, are likely to advance much further into Ukraine by taking the southern city of Odesa and possibly even the capital Kyiv.
On Tuesday, Putin announced that Russian troops would extend their reach into Ukraine to capitalize on their recent success in capturing the town of Avdiivka, where Ukrainian troops reportedly fled in disarray.
“Where should we stop? I don’t know,” stated former President Dmitry Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, in an interview with Russian media. He also added, “We will have to work very hard and very seriously.”
Medvedev went on to assert his belief that eventually Russian forces would reach Kyiv, as he stated, “Will it be Kyiv? Yes, it probably should be Kyiv. If not now, then after some time, maybe in some other phase of the development of this conflict.”
Medvedev, once seen as a modernizing reformer, has transformed himself into an arch-hawk since the beginning of the war, issuing a series of aggressive statements, criticizing the West, and warning of the potential of a nuclear apocalypse.
Although Russian troops were initially repelled from Kyiv in the initial weeks of the full-scale war launched by Putin in February 2022, they do not currently pose a threat to the Ukrainian capital. However, Kyiv has been frequently targeted by missile and drone attacks.
Medvedev’s statements indicate a growing confidence in Moscow regarding the course of the conflict, especially as Ukrainian forces are significantly outnumbered and outgunned by Russian forces. Additionally, a major new aid package for Kyiv has been stalled in the U.S. Congress.
Following the failure of Ukraine to break through Russian front lines last year, Moscow has been attempting to wear down Ukrainian forces, while Kyiv considers a substantial new mobilization, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed his top general.
Medvedev also expressed Russia’s intention to seize the Black Sea port of Odesa, which it refers to as Odessa.
“Odessa, come home. We have been waiting for Odessa in the Russian Federation because of the history of this city, what kind of people live there, what language they speak. It is our Russian, Russian city,” Medvedev stated.
Russian forces expected a swift victory in 2022, but Ukrainian forces successfully pushed them back later that year in a counteroffensive that revealed significant problems in Russia’s military.
Russia is now focused on regaining the initiative across the 1,000 km (600-mile) front line, where its troops are entrenched behind deep mine fields patrolled by drones and protected by heavy artillery.
At present, Russia controls just under one-fifth of the territory internationally recognized to be Ukraine, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has vowed not to rest until every last Russian soldier is expelled.
Russia contends that the territory its forces control is part of Russia and that it will never be relinquished. The West has committed approximately 250 billion euros ($271 billion) worth of aid to Ukraine in an effort to defeat Russian forces.
Putin proposed a ceasefire in Ukraine to halt the war, but the United States rejected the idea after discussions between intermediaries, as reported exclusively by Reuters earlier in the month.
Ukraine and the West characterize the war as an imperial-style land grab by Putin and have cautioned that if Ukraine falls, Russia could potentially attack a NATO member, a claim that Putin has denied.
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(Reporting by Reuters)
