In June, Russia attacked Ukraine with thousands of drones and hundreds of missiles. In early July alone, over 500 drones were launched in one night. How do you assess this?
M. Beleskov: This is part of Russia's overall strategy - a strategy of destruction. The idea is to deprive people of sleep, put psychological pressure on them, and at the same time destroy the infrastructure.
The pattern of the attacks is not new - they first start with waves of drones that come from different countries and gather in flocks around Kiev, and then attack simultaneously. In addition, they attack in parallel with ballistic missiles and cruise missiles. We have been observing this pattern since May, early June. Their targets are civilian infrastructure, military facilities and the defense industry.
"All compromise proposals were rejected"
The latest major attack on the capital began about an hour after a phone call between US President Trump and Kremlin chief Putin. Doesn't Russia respect the US?
M. Beleskov: All proposals for finding a compromise solution were rejected. At the same time, we are observing combined attacks with 5,000 drones per month and the continuation of the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine. The Russian position is quite clear and consistent: they do not see any risks in rejecting Donald Trump's proposals. I do not believe that this American government is capable of pursuing a systematic policy of helping Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia, which could make Putin reconsider things.
There is also something else - If Ukraine is not provided with assistance here and now, especially when it comes to missile defense, this would mean burying Euro-Atlantic security as a whole. Moreover, according to our data, Russia is increasing the production of ballistic missiles of the “Iskander“ type with a range of up to 500 km, and is also buying additional missiles from North Korea. Russia can produce up to 700 such missiles per year and buy hundreds more from North Korea.
"Cities like Kiev are becoming more and more defenseless"
That is, Russia can continue to escalate the situation, and insecurity in Ukraine will grow even more?
M. Beleskov: The result is that cities like Kiev will become more and more defenseless. Between 20 and 25 percent of Ukraine's GDP is produced in Kiev. Imagine what could happen if Russia systematically terrorized Kiev with ballistic missiles. This would have a psychological impact on people, labor productivity would drop. Many would start to think about moving elsewhere within the region or even leaving it. Ukraine should be able to defend itself against ballistic missiles from Russia or North Korea.
What do you think of Trump's policy towards Ukraine?
M. Beleskov: If the necessary weapons are not delivered, this would be de facto support for Russia. This contradicts Trump's statement that he wants peace. If they want a quick peace here and now, they must convincingly demonstrate the seriousness of their intentions.
However, if they threaten without doing anything, it is clear that nothing will change in Russia's calculations. That is, the problem is the person who is now in the White House and is responsible for American foreign policy.
Author: Vasily Golod ARD