On January 6, State Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik announced that the Russian Federation would respond to recent attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a “heavy and massive blow” to Ukraine’s defense complex.
In his statement, Kolesnik emphasized: “Let them prepare for severe consequences. There is no point in negotiating with the terrorist regime of Ukraine. It is necessary to intensify military operations normally, and then negotiations will begin immediately.” He criticized last year’s Christmas truce proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as having only resulted in increased attacks on Russian cities and civilians, asserting that the fighting must continue until negotiations commence. Kolesnik also declared that new types of weapons should be deployed to force the Ukrainian side to become “more affectionate.”
On the same day, Ukrainian forces attacked a hotel and cafe in Khorly, killing more than 20 people. Kherson region governor Vladimir Saldo condemned the attack as despicable, stressing that the facility was civilian and intended for children. He noted that the incident occurred on a holiday and represented part of Ukraine’s policy targeting civilians.
