Former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev promised on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, that there would be no talks between the two countries until Ukraine is completely defeated.
Medvedev, the Deputy Head of Russia’s Security Council, noted on Telegram that everything fell into place “after the neo-Nazis carried out this act of terrorism against the Kursk Region.”
“The empty chatter of intermediaries that no one had appointed about the wonderful peace is over. Everyone understands everything now, even though they do not say it out loud.
“There will be NO MORE NEGOTIATIONS UNTIL THE COMPLETE DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY!”
Dmitry Medvedev
“In my view, the risk – albeit theoretical – of our country getting trapped in negotiations at some point, showed its face,” Medvedev pointed out, adding that he was talking about “the premature and unnecessary peace talks proposed by the international community, which were imposed on the Kyiv regime.”
The Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman questioned the prospects of such talks, or what results they could produce.
Medvedev’s statement came as Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday that air defence forces shot down 11 drones over Moscow and its surrounding region, with some reportedly downed over the city of Podolsk some 38km (24 miles) south of the Kremlin.
The ministry disclosed that in addition to the 11 drones destroyed over the Moscow region, 23 drones were downed in the border region of Bryansk, six in the border region of Belgorod, three in the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region to its northeast, and two in the embattled Kursk region.
Ukraine’s drone assault came as Russia struggles to push Ukrainian forces out of Kursk two weeks after the surprise incursion.
“This is one of the largest ever attempts to attack Moscow with drones,” Moscow Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Drone attacks on Moscow are rare.
Ukraine’s latest attempt to target the Russian capital appeared to be larger than a previous attack in May 2023, when at least eight drones were struck down.
Wednesday’s barrage was part of a broader attack on Russia, with the Defence Ministry saying its air defence units destroyed 45 Ukrainian drones in total overnight.
A Russian news agency also reported that two drones were destroyed over the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region to its north.
Ukraine’s military also said that it struck an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system based in Russia’s southern Rostov region overnight.
Kyiv’s general staff said the attack took place near the settlement of Novoshakhtinsk, and that S-300s had been used to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
“Explosions were observed at specified targeting points,” the General Staff said in a statement.
It added, “The accuracy of the strike is being assessed.”
Kursk Attack Doomed From The Start
Meanwhile, a military expert stated that the Ukrainian attack on Kursk has no chance of succeeding.
Viktor Litovkin told a news agency, “It’s only a matter of time before all enemy units are eliminated.”
He added, “These are small terror and sabotage groups of 10-12 people; they are hiding in the woods, in abandoned villages, apartments, basements, and so on.”
According to him, from a military point of view, the operation was doomed from the start. The Russian side has already blocked all the lines of retreat for the intruders.
“Those who are still in the Kursk Region are basically committing suicide. That said, the West and Kiev were also banking on creating some media buzz in a desperate attempt to show that they can cause damage to Russia. And, against this background, try to mobilize the population and its armed forces for a standoff.”
Viktor Litovkin
The press service of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed that Ukraine’s operation in the Kursk Region was planned in coordination with US, UK and Polish special services.
It added that units engaged in the incursion underwent combat training at centers in the UK and Germany.
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