Alwaght- Russia warned that Ukraine's attack on Crimea will force Moscow to use 'weapons of any kind' to defend itself.
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his Twitter page that "Crimea is Russia. The attack on Crimea is an attack on Russia and an escalation of the conflict."
Russia could “retaliate in any way possible” should Ukrainian forces strike targets in Crimea or deep inside Russian territory, the former president warned. “We do not set any limits depending on the nature of threats, and are ready to use all types of weapons,” he insisted, adding that Russia would only be guided by its own doctrines, including the nuclear protocol.
“I can assure you a response would be swift, hard and convincing.”
Igor Klymenko, Ukrainian minister of Internal Affairs, on Friday announced the creation of assault brigades composed of military, border guards, and police officers to carry out operations to seize Crimea and Donbas.
According to a Russian military doctrine stated in 2010, nuclear weapons could be used by Russia “in response to the use of nuclear and other types of weapons of mass destruction against it or its allies, and also in case of aggression against Russia with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is threatened.”
Crimea, situated between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014, and formally applied to fall under Russian sovereignty following a referendum that had been declared illegal by Kiev.
Despite the overwhelming results of the referendum, Ukraine, the US, and the European Union still refuse to recognize Crimea as part of Russia, and imposed sanctions on Moscow.
Last month, The New York Times in a report cited a number of unnamed US officials as saying that following months of discussions with Ukrainian officials, the administration of US President Joe Biden was starting to concede that Kiev may need the power to strike Crimea, even if such a move would increase the risk of escalation.
