Russia Prepares to Escalate Attacks in Ukraine as Peace Talks Stall

Russia is preparing to escalate its attacks on Ukraine after concluding that negotiations for a peace deal have reached a dead end, according to sources close to the Kremlin. These sources indicate that Moscow is considering increased conventional ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv, including the city center, as well as infrastructure in other Ukrainian cities. The Kremlin believes that diplomacy has collapsed and that it has already made concessions that weakened its position.

According to reports, Russian officials view Ukrainian strikes as attacks by NATO member states due to the weapons and intelligence supplied by the alliance. Sources further state that President Vladimir Putin will not end the war under pressure from economic sanctions or strikes on Russian oil refineries and logistics networks. While some Russian officials believe this escalation could eventually lead to the use of tactical nuclear weapons, Bloomberg reported there are no signs that Russia is currently preparing to use such weapons. Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center stated that the risk of nuclear use remains extremely low. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not respond to requests for comment.