A senator from South Carolina Lindsay Graham said in an interview on saturday that he trusts the russian president Vladimir Putin will go “scorched earth” to Ukraine, if its forces continue the successful resistance.
Graham, 66, said Fox News’ Brian Kilmid that every gain Ukrainians and President Vladimir Green they did, they will only make Putin double.
“I admire the Ukrainian people,” Graham said. “I have never seen a leader rise to the occasion more than President Zelenski. I admire all the men and women in Ukraine who are literally ready to die for their freedom.
“But the more successful Ukraine is against Russia, the more likely Putin is to go to the scorched earth,” he added.
His decision is that Americans must stop buying Russian oil and gas so that the United States can produce more than its own.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks with Brian Kilmead Saturday night
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) awards businessman Arkady Rotenberg with Hero of Labor Medal
Zahar Leshchyshyn, a Ukrainian serviceman, listens to artillery fire standing in a trench at the dividing line between the Ukrainian-controlled and rebel-held territory near Zolotye.
“Never in the history of the world has a bad man been exposed as much as Putin is now,” said the fifth-term senator. “Their entire economy in Russia depends on the oil and gas sector. How about this idea? Turn it off.
He said he wanted to help the Biden administration overcome the crisis, but asked them to help themselves first.
“We must have as much will to produce oil and gas to help our economy and our allies as the Ukrainians to oppose a Russian tank,” Graham said. “The only best thing we can do is stop Russia’s oil and gas boom and increase America’s oil and gas production to help our own.”
He added that when it comes to Putin, you pay now or pay later, and suggested that the country get every C-17 available to fly with food, fuel and ammunition to Poland to enter Ukraine and help them fight the Russians.
On Saturday, perhaps proving Graham’s thesis, Putin deployed a volley missile system that “sucks the air out of its victims.” Ukraine as his occupation war intensified.
TOS-1 Buratino launches “thermobaric” fuel-air missiles, which, when exploded, consume all the oxygen in the area of the explosion, killing everyone in the area.
It may seem that the victims have no visible external injuries, but they will suffer great internal damage.
The weapon is based on the Soviet-era main T-72 battle tank, with the main tower removed and replaced by a missile launch system containing 30.8.5-inch missiles.
The TOS-1 Buratino multiple rocket launcher, pictured here in June 2020 during the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, is believed to have been stationed in Ukraine.
The weapon system can fire 30-8.5-inch missiles in 15 seconds. Thermobaric missiles have a range of approximately two miles, with each warhead causing an explosion area 1,000 feet in diameter
The TOS-1A Buratino multiple rocket launcher can fire 30 thermobaric projectiles in 15 seconds, devastating a 1,000-foot-wide blast zone
The system was developed in the mid-1980s and unguided missiles have a range of two miles.
Witnesses say they saw the weapons system crossing into Ukraine from Belarus, possibly heading to Kiev.
Indiscriminate weapons are very effective against people and lightly armored vehicles, causing devastation in an area 1,000 feet in diameter.
The Russians describe TOS-1 Buratino as a “flamethrower”, but military experts say it fired a “wall of napalm at its victims”.
Green today he promised to “destroy the occupiers” as he said his country’s army had successfully repulsed Russian forces advancing on Kiev.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that the country’s army had successfully repulsed Russian forces advancing on Kiev and controlled the capital after a night of brutal fighting in which terrified residents sought refuge underground.
Kiev: A police vehicle is seen patrolling the streets, as curfew is introduced from Saturday 17:00 to Monday 8 am local time
Ukrainian soldiers take up positions in front of a military facility while burning two cars on a street in Kiev, Ukraine today
In a video message to the besieged nation, Zelensky accused the Kremlin of trying to seize the capital, overthrow the government and establish a “puppet” regime “like in Donetsk”, one of the two separatist regions that is fueling the war. Vladimir Putin officially recognized before the total invasion began.
Saying that “we broke their idea”, he added: “The fights are taking place in many cities and regions of our country. But we know that we are defending the country, the land, the future of our children. Kiev and key cities around the capital are controlled by our army.
“Every Ukrainian must have one thing in mind: if you can stop and destroy the occupiers – do it. Anyone who can return to Ukraine – to return to defend Ukraine.
Meanwhile, curfew in Kiev has been introduced until 8 am on Monday to ensure the most effective protection of the city and the safety of the people. The previous daily curfew was from 10 to 7 in the morning.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said: “All civilians on the street during curfew will be considered members of the enemy’s sabotage and intelligence groups.”
This comes after a high-rise apartment building in Kiev was hit by a devastating rocket this morning, while the number of civilians killed in Ukraine reached 198.
The British Ministry of Defense said that most of the Russian forces involved in the attack on Kiev are now 30 km (19 miles) from the city center.
“Russia has not yet gained control of Ukraine’s airspace, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of the Russian air force,” the defense ministry said in an intelligence update posted on Twitter.
But Secretary of Defense James Happy said today that there was no reason to think “a happy ending is just around the corner” as he warned that the conflict could last for months.
He told BBC Breakfast: “No one should think that this is somewhere close. What Ukraine faces, its armed forces and, very tragically, its people are days, weeks, months more than what we have seen in the last 48 hours.
As Ukrainian forces said they had fought the Russian attack on their capital today, Zelensky promised to stay and fight in a passionate video for his people.
‘I’m here. We will not lay down our arms. We will defend our country because our weapons are our truth, “he told his office, denouncing as disinformation allegations that he had surrendered or fled.
Dressed in military attire, the president added: “There is a lot of false information on the Internet saying that I called on our army to lay down its arms and that the evacuation is underway.
“Our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children and we will protect all this. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Glory to Ukraine! ‘
Shocking footage today shows a rocket tearing apart a tower near Zhulyani Airport, and video surveillance inside also shows the extent of the damage after hitting the site.
The images show the building with a hole covering at least five floors, blown up on the sides and rubble scattered on the street below. Two people were reported killed in the crash.
Anton Herashchenko also said that Russia was lying that it had not fired on civilian infrastructure, claiming that at least 40 such sites had been affected. Ukraine said later on Saturday that 19 people had been killed in shelling in the eastern part of the country.
These civilian deaths were reported on 198 reported earlier today, resulting in a total of 219 – including three children – who have been killed so far by Russian forces attacking the country.
The Minister of Health of Ukraine said today that about 1,200, including 33 children, were injured.