The war in Ukraine is going badly for Russia and got even worse on the weekend as a key bridge between Russia and Crimea was blown up by what looked like a truck bomb.
The Kremlin published a video where Putin called the move a terrorist attack by Ukranian special services and foreign accomplices. He said he would convene the security concil to discuss the next steps and that investigators had tracked the rout of the truck, which was something like this:
The hardliners in Russia are getting louder and some in the White House are saying that we're closer to nuclear war than anytime in 50 years. It's a terrifying thought and is certainly weighing on sentiment today.
Some ideas that Russian commentators are proposing include:
- Announcement of some kind of ultimatum to Ukraine
- Official declaration of war on Ukraine
- Raising the stakes and launching full-scale strikes on Ukraine's critical infrastructure all over the country
- Broader attacks on large Ukranian cities
On Sunday, Russia attacked apartments in Zaporizhzhia, which they said housed militants. Ukraine reported at 11 children were wounded.
In another sign of an impending change of tactics, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that the air force chief, Gen. Sergei Surovikin would command Ukraine operations.