Russia accuses Ukraine of a terrorist attack on Russia’s side. Ukraine calls Russia’s accusations a “deliberate provocation”. According to experts, the countries have their own motives for the accusations.
On Thursday, the Kremlin claimed that Ukraine carried out a “terrorist attack” in Branjsk, Russia, near the border between the two countries. The news agencies AFP and Reuters report on the matter.
In addition, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of taking hostages in the village of Ljubechane.
According to Russian news agencies, Russian troops are fighting two Ukrainian saboteur divisions on Russian territory.
President of Ukraine to Volodymyr Zelensky assistant Myhailo Podolyak dismissed the Kremlin’s claims on Thursday as baseless intimidation of the Russians.
– Russia’s claim that Ukrainian partisans have invaded Russian territory in the direction of Bryansk is a classic provocation, Podolyak said.
Rumors have been circulating on Russian Telegram channels on Thursday about a possible attack by a Ukrainian intelligence group in Sushany in the Bryansk region.
According to news agency Reuters, the president of Russia Vladimir Putin has called the country’s Security Council to an emergency session due to the events in Bryansk.
– They (Russian soldiers) protect people from neo-Nazis and terrorists who tortured and killed people in Donbas for eight years, killed Daria Duginan In Moscow and today they committed yet another terrorist act and a new crime, said Putin.
According to the Kremlin spokesman, the emergency meeting will not be held today, but Putin will be kept informed of the situation. Measures are being taken to destroy Ukrainian “terrorists”, the spokesman says.
Joakim Paasikivi: Anyone can be behind the attacks
Former Swedish military officer and military analyst Mikael Valtersson shared a video on Twitter Thursday of the Russian volunteer forces he believes are behind the operation.
– Both sides blame each other, but it seems that it was an independent and stupid operation by the Russian volunteer battalion, Valtersson estimates.
Several attacks on military targets and energy facilities have been carried out in the Russian territory in recent days.
Some of the strikes have failed or the drones sent into flight have not always hit their targets precisely, but the strikes show that there is a threat to Russian targets.
Both sides blame each other for the attacks, and Russia has aimed its accusations more broadly at the West.
Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter (switch to another service) interviewed experts, according to whom Russia and Ukraine have their own reasons for looking for their own candidates as the perpetrators of the attacks.
also interviewed the professor of military strategy at the Swedish Defense Academy, lieutenant colonel Joakim Paasikivi estimates that both parties may well be behind the attacks.
According to Paasikivi, Ukraine has a good reason to attack Russian targets. It is clear that there is also dissatisfaction in Russia, says Paasikivi.
Russia blames the West for the attacks and wants to cover up the possible domestic problems that the war in Ukraine brings with it, Paasikivi estimates.
Paasikivi says that Russia would rather blame the West than Ukraine.
– In Russia, they are willing to point the accusing finger at, for example, Britain or the United States, because they are not liked in Russia.
According to him, Ukrainians do not exist for Russians.
– Even if the Ukrainians are hostile towards Russia, they are only considered puppets of the West.
Paasikivi does not believe that Russia wants to expand the war even further.
– The question is whether Russia has the desire to expand the war, because they would certainly lose it.
– There would be no chance for Russia to win, because they are already losing thousands of men every week in Ukraine, says Paasikivi.
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