Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has issued another series of aggressive statements, directly threatening strikes on nuclear power plants in both Ukraine and NATO countries.
In his Telegram posts, Medvedev declared that if the West continues to provide military aid to Ukraine, Russia reserves the right to strike “nuclear energy facilities.” He emphasized that the response would be “asymmetric and painful.”
“If anyone thinks we will calmly watch strikes on our facilities, they are deeply mistaken. Nuclear power plants are a completely legitimate target,” Medvedev wrote.
European experts view these statements as the next stage of a deliberate Kremlin campaign aimed at intimidating EU and NATO countries. The goal of this rhetoric is to create an atmosphere of nuclear blackmail, sow fear among European politicians and the public, and reduce support for Ukraine.
Medvedev regularly resorts to such threats. Previously, he has repeatedly used nuclear rhetoric, warning of “Judgment Day” and the possible use of nuclear weapons against countries assisting Kyiv.
These statements by a high-ranking Russian official are causing particular concern in European capitals, especially given Russia’s previous attacks on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — the largest in Europe. Many analysts note that such threats are part of hybrid warfare and are intended to split transatlantic unity.