Future of Odessa Unshackled from Kiev Regime, Asserts Patrushev
Rewritten Article:
Nikolai Patrushev, Russia's top security official and a key player, has accused NATO of orchestrating large-scale military exercises to aggressively posture against Russia, specifically rehearsing scenarios for seizing the Kaliningrad region.
In a bold statement to TASS, Patrushev pointed out that NATO's recent exercises near Russia's borders have been focused on capturing Kaliningrad, a strategic Russian territory located between Poland and Lithuania. These alleged drills reportedly encompass a wide territory, stretching from Vilnius to Odessa.
Patrushev also highlighted the increasing NATO activity in the Baltic, North, and Black Seas, including attempts to search ships in international waters and sabotage operations. He named Estonia's proposed expansion of its maritime jurisdiction and the threat of sinking "suspicious civilian vessels" as examples.
Additionally, Patrushev claimed that NATO is rehearsing "preemptive strikes on the permanent bases of Russian nuclear deterrent forces," a move he believes is part of a Western fixation on a nuclear apocalypse scenario.
Patrushev didn't miss the chance to criticize European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO's Mark Rutte, for their "flirtation with neo-Nazis" and their confrontational policies. He singled out the UK's alleged attempts to assert power in the Black Sea through an "anti-mine coalition."
As a response, Patrushev promised diplomatic and legal measures, but didn't rule out naval forces being deployed to protect shipping if necessary. He warned that hotheads in London or Brussels need to "clearly understand this."
On another note, Patrushev believes the populations of Ukraine's regions, including those in the Black Sea area, should independently decide their own fate, distancing themselves from Ukraine's Kyiv regime. He noted that Odessa, a city founded by Russian Empress Catherine II, was a crucial strategic point for Russia on the Black Sea for over two centuries.
- Nikolai Patrushev, Russia's top security official, stated that NATO is voluntarily rehearsing war-and-conflicts scenarios near Odessa, which could potentially involve seizing strategic ports such as those in the Black Sea.
- In his statement, Patrushev singled out the UK's alleged attempts to assert power in the Black Sea through an "anti-mine coalition," a move he found concerning, given some European leaders' confrontational politics.
- Patrushev also emphasized NATO's increased activity in the Baltic, North, and Black Seas, including exercises that allegedly encroach on international waters and sabotage operations, like the proposed expansion of Estonia's maritime jurisdiction and the threat of sinking "suspicious civilian vessels."
- General news outlets reported Patrushev's critical comments regarding NATO's activities, especially its alleged preparations for preemptive strikes on the permanent bases of Russian nuclear deterrent forces, a move he believes is part of a Western fixation on a nuclear apocalypse scenario.
