Medvedev hints at more attacks on Western Ukraine

The former Russian president has called for “cruelty and force” in response to Kiev’s recent drone strikes in the Black Sea

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has suggested more devastating attacks on Ukraine’s western regions in response to a string of drone strikes against Moscow’s ships and civilian vessels in the Black Sea.

Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, made his comments on Saturday after a sea drone damaged an oil tanker off the coast of Crimea. The ex-president blamed the attack on Ukraine, saying it was meant to trigger an environmental disaster in the Black Sea, and he called for Moscow to follow up on recent port attacks that came in response to last month’s Ukrainian drone strike on the Crimean Bridge.

“Scumbags and freaks understand only cruelty and force,” Medvedev said in a social media post. “Apparently, the strikes on Odessa, Izmail and other places were not enough for them.”

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Ukraine attacks Russian oil tanker in Black Sea – media

He also suggested that Russian retaliation for the drone attacks would eliminate any chance of reviving the grain deal that had enabled Ukraine to ship its grain exports through the Black Sea. “If the Kiev scum want to create an ecological disaster in the Black Sea, they should get one on the part of their territory that will soon fall to Poland and that will stink for centuries after that. That will be the final judgment on the grain deal,” Medvedev warned.

Ukrainian sea drones also targeted civilian ships and their Russian naval escorts earlier this week, and attacked the Black Sea Fleet base at Novorossiysk on Friday. Kiev also has stepped up aerial drone attacks on civilian targets in Russian territory, including Moscow’s financial district.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has claimed that Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian targets are attempts to distract from Kiev’s faltering counteroffensive in the Donbass region.

READ MORE: Ukraine’s defense chief vows more attacks on Crimea

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