The admission of Ukraine to Nato could result in a third world war, said Alexander Venediktov, the deputy secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on Thursday. In an interview with TASS news agency, Venediktov said, “Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to a World War Three,” Reuters reported.
“Apparently, that’s what they are counting on – to create informational noise and draw attention to themselves once again.”
Venediktov also repeated the Russian position that the West, by helping Ukraine, indicated that “they are a direct party to the conflict”.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a surprise bid for fast-track membership of the Nato military alliance at the end of September, after President Vladimir Putin held a ceremony in Moscow to proclaim the four partially occupied regions as annexed Russian land, Reuters reported.
On Thursday, Russian missiles pounded the city of Mykolaiv, officials said, after a UN General Assembly resolution called Moscow’s annexation of Ukrainian territory “illegal” and Ukraine’s allies committed more military aid.
“A five-storey residential building was hit, the two upper floors were completely destroyed, the rest – under rubble. Rescuers are working on the site,” Mykolaiv’s Mayor Oleksandr Senkevich said in a social media post, adding the southern city was “massively shelled”, Reuters reported.
Russia also targeted a settlement in the region of Ukraine’s capital Kyiv using explosive drones early on Thursday, though there were no details on casualties.
According to Reuters, the Governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba, said based on preliminary information the strikes were caused by Iranian-made loitering munitions. These are often known as ‘kamikaze drones’.
