Senior Russian officials have reportedly lifted an 'unofficial ban' on assassinating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with sources claiming his top military commanders may also be targeted following a high-stakes meeting involving Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv's relentless strikes on Russia's oil export hub on the Baltic Sea are said to have triggered the decision, according to Blokot.
Security chiefs warn over defence funds
Reports indicate that during a behind-closed-doors meeting on Thursday, Moscow's security chiefs warned that the nation was haemorrhaging defence funds battling Kyiv's drone campaign. The Leningrad region alone, where St. Petersburg is situated, reportedly spent close to the equivalent of $300 million on air defence systems.
"It is pointless to fight the endless swarm of drones - it is necessary to destroy the very chain of decision-making," one Russian official reportedly said, according to the outlet.
Officials favour decapitation strategy
The New York Post reports that security officials decided they would rather decapitate the current leadership, including Zelensky, citing senior government sources.
"The destruction of other people's heating does not stop attacks on our refineries, because the people who give orders feel completely safe under the protection of Moscow's unspoken 'gentlemen's agreements' with the West," a Russian source said. Senior figures reportedly indicated that powerful hypersonic weapons could be deployed to strike bunkers and convoys transporting Ukrainian leaders and senior military commanders.
Putin ultimatum to Britain
This follows Putin issuing an ultimatum to Britain, demanding the UK relinquish its nuclear protection of European allies as part of a proposed agreement to bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end.
A document drafted by Russian negotiators outlines a sweeping set of conditions Moscow requires to be fulfilled before agreeing to any peace deal, including compelling Britain and France to withdraw their nuclear umbrella from other European nations. The extraordinary demands, which would dramatically overhaul Europe's security landscape, are contained in a paper dated November 10 and obtained by The New York Times from an individual involved in the negotiations.
