Russia threatens to use nuclear weapons again
Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia and the current deputy chairman of the National Security Council, has warned that nuclear weapons will be used if necessary to maintain control over the territories occupied by Russia in Ukraine.
He said on Thursday (September 22) that anything from strategic nuclear weapons to whatever weapons Moscow has in its arsenal could be used to hold territory seized from Ukraine. Moscow has been making veiled threats of using nuclear weapons since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict.
The Russia-Ukraine war that started in February this year has dragged on for seven months. In this fight, Russian troops have taken control of one-fifth of the territory of Ukraine. Among them, Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine as well as the port cities of Kherson and Zaporizhia are notable.
Four regions of Russian-occupied Ukraine have decided to join Russia in referendums. Referendums will be held in these regions from Friday (September 23) to Tuesday (September 27).
Medvedev, a politician close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressed his assurance of the protection of these regions, which originally wanted to join Russia.
In his final speech, he said that Moscow-appointed authorities would hold a referendum on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory to join Russia. There is no retreat. He also said that Donetsk and Luhansk republics and other regions will accept Russia.
In a statement on Tuesday (September 20), officials appointed by Russia in the Kherson region said that they have decided to hold a referendum on joining Kherson with Russia. Meanwhile, the speaker of the Russian parliament said that if the people of Kherson voted to join Russia, he would support it.
On February 24 of this year, before the start of the military operation in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the two regions of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) as independent states. Referendums are being held in both republics to join Russia.
The plan of these four regions occupied by Russia in Ukraine has emerged as a new challenge for the Western countries. It is feared that this decision of the regions may increase the intensity of the conflict in Ukraine many times. Meanwhile, Ukraine and its Western allies have condemned the referendum plan.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said, 'Let Russia do whatever they want. Ukraine has the right to liberate its territories and we will liberate them no matter what Russia says.'
