The Kremlin supports Russian initiatives to pay bonuses for capturing or destroying heavy weapons from NATO countries in Ukraine. These special payments can further encourage soldiers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. “As for these tanks, we already said that they will burn, of course, even more if there are such expanded measures,” said Peskov.
Earlier, Governor Alexander Osipov of the Transbaikalia region announced a bonus of three million rubles (about 39,200 euros) for every German or American tank captured in Ukraine. Peskov said that Russian businessmen also made such proposals. “Different sums are given for technology burned, technology destroyed, technology captured,” he said.
This testifies to Russia’s drive to achieve the goals of the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the confidant of the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, stressed that these tanks have not yet been used as targets. “Obviously it needs a preparation phase.” Referring to the possible delivery of US long-range missiles to Ukraine, the Kremlin spokesman said these weapons would not change Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.
However, Peskov acknowledged that there were “rather peculiar and hostile” conditions for Russia in this war. “We see that the entire NATO military infrastructure is working against Russia. We see how the entire NATO intelligence, including air reconnaissance, satellite units, works on a 24/7 basis in the interests of Ukraine”, he told the Russian State. to the Tass news agency. During the Russian invasion that began about a year ago – on February 24 – Putin repeatedly cited the “demilitarization” of Ukraine as a war goal.