For over 3 years now, Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine. Despite all the brutality of the aggression, however, some high-ranking figures in Russia are not satisfied and want an escalation, writes focus.de, citing Tagesspiegel.
Russian hardliners (also known as “hawks“) want an even more brutal war. After the Ukrainian intelligence operation “Cobweb”, which destroyed Russian aircraft deep inside the country and exposed Russia’s vulnerabilities, they seem to be increasingly certain in their view that there must be an escalation.
The British newspaper The Telegraph spoke to anonymous, allegedly high-ranking “Kremlin insiders” who are said to belong to the hardliner camp. According to reports, these extremists are seeking a “full escalation”, preceded by an official declaration of war by Russia. However, the Kremlin continues to officially describe the war in Ukraine as a “special military operation” – and thus, despite all the violence, sets certain limits.
What exactly do the hardliners want? “Daily attacks with intercontinental ballistic missiles, mass mobilization and perhaps even the use of tactical nuclear weapons“, reports The Telegraph.
Unlike strategic nuclear weapons, tactical nuclear weapons have a shorter range and lower explosive power. They are designed for combat use, but this has not yet been used anywhere in the world. Using tactical nuclear weapons would be a historical violation of taboo. At present, there is no prospect that Putin will succumb to calls for escalation.
On the one hand, according to experts, the Russian army does not have the necessary resources for daily attacks with intercontinental missiles. On the other hand, from the Russian president’s perspective, the war in Ukraine is going according to plan, a source told the newspaper.
Additional arguments for continuing the current approach rather than waging a war without borders are obvious: mass mobilization would further strain an economically struggling Russia. Putin would also admit to the Russian public that the war is not as successful as he claims.
Moreover, mobilization could turn citizens against Putin, whose children are supposed to go into battle – instead of continuing to send mostly economically weak people from Russia’s peripheral regions.