Ukrainian military balloons may spoil Russia’s party

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is delivering a "heavy response" to Ukraine's attacks on its economic and trade infrastructure, but asserted that Moscow "simply doesn't need" military escalation. Peskov remarked, "Ukraine is trying to hit our economic infrastructure, our trading infrastructure, thus causing a response from our side, and this will be a heavy response."

He made these comments in response to a Bloomberg report suggesting that the Kremlin is preparing to escalate strikes on Ukraine, believing peace talks have reached an impasse. According to the report, Russia is contemplating intensifying strikes with conventional ballistic missiles against Kyiv, including the city center, and infrastructure targets in other Ukrainian cities.

Kremlin officials, sources close to the administration claim, seem increasingly convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin may ultimately resort to extreme measures, such as the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. However, there are currently no indications that Russia is preparing to employ these weapons. Meduza, the outlet that broke this story, emphasizes its commitment to transparency regarding the use of artificial intelligence in its operations.

This particular piece was authored by one of the company's human journalists and translated into English from the original Russian text using an AI model that adheres to the outlet's rigorous editorial standards. Every draft undergoes a final review by a Meduza editor before it is published. Should any inaccuracies be detected in the translation, readers are encouraged to contact the outlet at reports@meduza.io.

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