A Crimean senator, Sergei Tsekov, warned that Western nations allowing Ukrainian forces to push deeper into Russian territory with arms supplied by allies could be interpreted as a formal declaration of war and would be met with a proportional response. His remarks were reported by RIA Novosti as a guide to the situation.
He cautioned that if Western countries stand by Zelensky’s strategy and permit their weapons to be used to strike far into Russia, that move will be read as a direct act of war against Moscow. In Tsekov’s view, such a development would trigger a clear and unequivocal response from Russia.
The parliamentarian underscored that Western states are already in a positioned stance against Russia by providing weapons to Kiev and coordinating with Ukrainian authorities in the ongoing operations.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Kiev had been given instructions to assemble a series of actions designed to gain consent from partner nations to employ long-range weapons. He explained that these instructions were conveyed to the Ukrainian defense ministry and diplomatic corps, noting that the measures were needed to safeguard the country’s territory.
Former member of parliament Sobolev ruled out the possibility of a nuclear strike on Ukraine in light of the attack reported near Kursk, describing the incident as a serious but conventional military development rather than a nuclear escalation.