Russian hardliners are urging President Vladimir Putin to escalate attacks against Ukraine as Kyiv is increasingly able to strike deep inside the country and target critical infrastructure, according to a new report.
Reuters detailed that Moscow hawks have long called for different types of escalations, including the assassination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons.
However, the outlet added, the calls have intensified following Ukraine's attacks that managed to strike Moscow, St. Petersburg and Crimea, including a key oil refinery just 10 miles from the Kremlin.
Konstantin Malofeyev, a nationalist mogul, said "war means victory at any cost" after the attack. "Why are we not using nuclear weapons, which our forebears developed and stockpiled with the full might of the nation precisely for this purpose?" he added.
In another report, the outlet detailed that repairing efforts in the refinery will take at least six months. The refinery in question is the largest fuel supplier in the Moscow region and was hit twice this month. It processed 11.6 million metric tons of oil in 2024.
Kyiv said the attack was retaliation for Russian strikes that hit a historic monastery in the country, drawing condemnation from different parts of the world.
Sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin can tolerate such rhetoric, but they can also help stoke public sentiment against any diplomacy. So far, Russia has refrained from abandoning negotiations, even if they have not made progress over the past months.
Moscow did vow to escalate its attacks after the strike. "It is no coincidence that the president announced some time ago, after yet another Kyiv terrorist attack, that we will now conduct massive group strikes on a regular basis against targets whose condition directly affects the combat readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week.
Another recent report noted that Russia is considering importing fuel as continued Ukrainian strikes cripple its energy sector.
Citing two unnamed sources, the Vedomosti daily said earlier this week that the measure, brought up during a meeting led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, could seek to address fuel disruptions. Different regions across the country have reported restrictions on fuel sales, rising oil prices and long queues at gas stations.
Authorities in occupied Crimea recently halted gas sales for civilians this week as attacks against the territory ramp up. The territory also announced a state of emergency on Friday to deal with the economic crisis.
