US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) officials monitoring the war in Ukraine noted a pronounced shift earlier this week in Russia’s strategy – namely, that Russia now appears ready to “bomb cities into submission”, which could cause significant civilian casualties, a senior Western intelligence official told CNN.
“Heavier weapons are not only heavier in weight, they are also heavier in terms of the damage they can inflict,” the official said. “And they are much less discriminating. So more victims.”
“It’s a very rude approach,” the official added. He said his experience with the Russian leadership and Putin “leads me to think that they have a completely different standard when it comes to respect for human life.”
More context: US officials have warned in recent days that Russia’s strategy appeared to be shifting from focusing primarily on military targets to targeting civilians, amid a realization that an initial plan to quickly capture Kiev and overthrow the government had failed.
“The next few days are likely to be worse, with more deaths, more suffering and more destruction, as the Russian armed forces bring in heavier weapons and continue their attacks across the country,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, this Friday (4th).
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the sentiment during a press conference in Brussels on Friday, where he is meeting with European allies.
“The Kremlin attacks are causing an increasing number of civilians there. Hundreds if not thousands of Ukrainians were killed, many more injured, as well as citizens of other countries. More than a million refugees have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries. Millions of people across Ukraine are trapped in increasingly dire conditions as Russia destroys more critical infrastructure,” Blinken said.
The Washington Post first reported that significant civilian casualties, “massive loss of human life”, are likely in the coming days, according to a senior Western intelligence official.
Zelensky said the NATO leadership on Friday: “Given the green light for more bombing of Ukrainian cities and towns, refusing to make a no-fly zone. You could have closed the sky!”
Source: CNN Brasil
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