Russia prepares to intensify missile strikes on Kyiv, report says
Moscow has concluded that peace efforts have reached a “dead end” and therefore is planning to step up attacks on Ukraine, hoping to extract a capitulation, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 26, citing sources.
The Russian government believes that ongoing peace talks have hit a "dead end" and is now preparing to escalate its attacks on Ukraine, with the goal of forcing a surrender, according to Bloomberg. The report, citing anonymous sources, suggests that Russia is considering a greater deployment of conventional ballistic missiles, focusing on the capital Kyiv and key infrastructure in other Ukrainian cities.
Efforts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict through economic sanctions and Ukrainian counterattacks on Russian oil refineries have been unsuccessful in changing Putin's stance. The Kremlin views Ukrainian strikes as acts of NATO states, as these countries provide arms and intelligence support to Kyiv.
While the current conflict phase is not yet at its peak of military escalation, the sources indicate that Moscow is not ruling out further intensification. U.S. attempts to mediate the Russo-Ukrainian war have so far been unsuccessful, with President Donald Trump preoccupied with ending the Iran conflict and finding a way out. Russian officials have reportedly indicated that they expect visits from U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, but are skeptical about receiving new proposals from Washington.
The escalation of the conflict could potentially lead to Putin considering the use of tactical nuclear weapons, a subject that has become more frequently discussed among hardline Russian officials.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
