In a recent interview, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated he is committed to continuing military action in Ukraine and suggested reviewing Russia's nuclear weapons doctrine due to perceived Western aggression. Speaking after state visits to North Korea and Vietnam, Putin accused Western nations of escalating tensions by enabling NATO weapons to be used against Russian targets. He implied that defeat in Ukraine would equate to the end of Russia's statehood.
Hours before this interview was aired, Ukraine executed one of its largest drone attacks on Russian soil, targeting the Yeysk airbase, Ilsky oil refinery, and an oil depot in Volgograd. Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 114 drones and claimed six unmanned boats of the Ukrainian Navy were destroyed by its Black Sea Fleet. Governor Venyamin Kondratyev confirmed a worker in Krasnodar was killed due to a drone strike.
The Russian nuclear doctrine, last updated in 2020, allows for nuclear weapon use if mass destruction weapons are used against Russia or if there's a credible threat of attack. Putin suggested this doctrine might be revised in response to recent events. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and other Western nations have recently permitted Ukraine to use their supplied weapons to strike within Russian territory, described by Moscow as escalating the conflict.
Ukraine's increasing drone and missile strikes have targeted Russia’s energy infrastructure while Moscow’s retaliatory attacks have heavily impacted Ukraine’s power supply.