Is Russia conducting manipulation operations on its border to justify attacks on Ukraine, as suggested by the government in Kyiv?
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On Thursday, April 14, 2022, Moscow accused the Ukrainian army of bombing several border villages on the Russian side. Immediate denial from the Ukrainian side, which claims that it is the Russian secret services that are carrying out “terrorist attacks” in the border region, particularly in the village of Klimovo, in order to foment “anti-Ukrainian hysteria”.
Problem: These military operations denounced by Moscow are in the grey zone of the border, areas off-limits to foreign journalists, where no independent source can confirm whether the allegations made by the Russian authorities are true. According to the PSB, the security services and a regional governor, Kyiv had therefore carried out three attacks on villages on the border, including one with two helicopters described as heavily armed. Moscow says there were injuries, but none were seen. The only evidence presented is some images released by the official agency RIA Novosti, where we see impacts in the wall of a house and a wooden hut.
Even before the conflict broke out in Ukraine, Moscow had accused the Ukrainian army of bombing its territory, something Kyiv has always denied. But these repeated allegations raise fears of a new escalation: Moscow today appears to want to use these real or imagined incidents as a basis to threaten Kyiv with bombing official buildings, such as the army headquarters, which the Russians have so far tried to avoid.
These new threats are also in a special context for the Kremlin since the sinking of the Moskva. This Russian flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, a 186-meter missile cruiser, hit the bottom during a towing operation on Thursday, April 14, 2022.
War in Ukraine: Russian flagship Moskva badly damaged (FRANCE 2)
It was obviously too damaged to navigate in rough seas. According to Moscow, a fire broke out on board after an ammunition explosion. According to Kyiv, he was hit by two rockets. So there can be no reprisals, at least here officially, for what is an accident.
However, the loss of the cruiser is militarily and symbolically heavy for Moscow, which has been announcing for a few days that its efforts will now focus on the Donbass. It is possible that Vladimir Putin will launch a new major offensive in eastern Ukraine to consolidate and expand his territorial gains. A threat taken seriously by the CIA: the head of the American secret service, Bill Burns, warns of the risk of these various military setbacks, which could tempt the Kremlin to resort to a tactical nuclear weapon or a weak power.