Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
He says, Ukraine has opened “Pandora’s box” by targeting Russian territory.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed that Russian attacks only strike military targets in Ukraine, even though independent analysis as well as open-source intelligence has shown this to be outright false.
However, the Kremlin now acknowledges that Russia is striking “everything and anything” in Ukraine — but they say it’s Ukraine’s own fault.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Sept. 13 that Moscow is now launching strikes across Ukraine without taking into consideration the nature of the targets.
According to Peskov, Russian forces previously avoided striking broad targets, but have now abandoned that, because of Ukraine’s medium-to-long-range campaign targeting Russian territory.
“The Russian Federation did not strike everything and anything,” Peskov told reporters. “It started doing so after the Ukrainians themselves opened Pandora’s box.”
His comments echo earlier warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Aug. 22, Putin warned that Moscow would retaliate against Ukraine’s key economic sectors after Kyiv targeted Russian energy sites.
“(Ukraine) set out to damage our economy. What did it do? It opened this Pandora’s box itself. Expect a response targeting your most sensitive economic sectors,” Putin said in late August.
Escalating drone attacks
Kyiv has faced near-constant bombardment for more than a week, as Moscow has dramatically ramped up its deployment of jet-powered attack drones in recent weeks.
Buzzing drones keep residents awake night after night, raising deep anxiety about the coming winter.
While Russia systematically targets energy grids, Ukraine has struck back at Russian oil refineries and fuel storage sites to squeeze Moscow’s war budget.
Now the damage is reaching further west. A recent overnight drone strike brought the conflict within range of the Polish border, hitting targets in Volyn Oblast near the Yahodyn–Dorohusk crossing.
Fuel supplies targeted
The assault destroyed a gas station near the crossing and hit a Kyiv-to-Warsaw passenger train. The attack marks a dangerous geographic spread of Russian strikes.
Fuel logistics are now a central focus. Kyiv officials reported at least four strikes on local gas stations in a single week.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated on Sept. 11 that the Ukrainian capital is facing shortages in interceptor weapons as well as resources to build shelters at every gas station.
What began as tactical strikes in frontline areas like Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia has now spread into central regions, damaging dozens of gas stations over the summer.
