Medvedev says ‘no rules’ after Ukrainian strikes on Russian strategic targets
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, following Ukrainian drone attacks on strategic Russian facilities, declared that there are no longer any rules and questioned the relevance of the Hague Conventions.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and a former president, issued new threats after Ukrainian forces carried out a series of strikes on military and strategic targets inside Russian territory in mid-June.
Medvedev stated that there can no longer be any rules regarding Ukraine. These remarks followed Ukrainian drone attacks that hit several facilities, including the Moscow oil refinery in the Kapotnya district, located relatively close to the center of Moscow. The strike caused widespread resonance in Russia.
A particularly sharp reaction was provoked by Medvedev's claim that the Hague Conventions on the laws and customs of war are no longer needed. These documents regulate the conduct of war and the protection of civilians during armed conflicts.
Medvedev also ranted against Europe, using nuclear threat rhetoric, claiming that Russia would not build concentration camps for Europeans because radioactive bones and ashes would be buried in the ground.
Ukraine explains the strikes as a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said after the attacks: "If Ukraine burns, your Moscow will burn too."
Analysts view Medvedev's rhetoric as part of Moscow's information pressure, aiming to intimidate Ukraine and its allies and justify increasingly brutal actions in the war. Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refining, logistics, and military facilities show that the war is increasingly being brought to Russian territory, creating not only military but also political and psychological consequences.
