Russia’s Medvedev: Attack on Crimea Will Trigger ‘Doomsday’ Response
The refusal of Ukraine and Western powers to recognize Moscow’s control over Crimea poses a “systemic threat” to Russia and any external attack on the region will prompt a “judgment day” response, the State said on Sunday. former President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea to Ukraine in 2014 after a pro-Moscow president in Kyiv was ousted amid massive street protests. Moscow has also backed armed pro-Russian separatists in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. In the event of an attack on Crimea, Medvedev was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying: “The day of judgment will come very quickly and hard. It will be very difficult to hide.”
Medvedev did not give details but previously warned the United States of the dangers of trying to punish a nuclear power such as Russia for its actions in Ukraine, saying it could put humanity at risk. His comments came a day after a Ukrainian official suggested that Crimea, which most of the world still recognizes as part of Ukraine, could be a target for US-made HIMARS missiles, recently deployed from Kyiv. as she battles Russian forces.
Earlier on Sunday, the Interfax news agency quoted Medvedev as saying to World War II veterans: “If any other state, be it Ukraine or NATO countries, believes that Crimea is not Russian, then it’s a systemic threat to us.” “This is a direct and explicit threat, especially given what happened in Crimea. Crimea has returned to Russia,” said Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council. .
Vadym Skibitskyi, a Ukrainian military intelligence official, was asked in a television interview on Saturday whether HIMARS could be used on targets in Crimea. He said that Russia had carried out strikes on Ukrainian territory from the Crimea and the Black Sea and therefore they were also justified targets.
Crimea is of particular strategic importance to Russia as it includes the headquarters of its Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
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