Russian officials have reportedly lifted an 'unofficial ban' on killing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to reports. Zelensky's top generals may also be targeted after a high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin, the reports said.
Kyiv's repeated raids on Russia's oil export hub on the Baltic Sea are said to have proved the catalyst for the decision, according to Blokot.
Security Officials Warn of Funding Shortfall
Reports suggest that during a closed-door meeting on Thursday, Moscow's security officials warned that the country was running out of defence money to fend off Kyiv's drones. The Leningrad region alone, where St. Petersburg is located, 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 Consider 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.
Possible Use of Hypersonic Weapons
Officials reportedly said they could use heavy hypersonic weapons to target bunkers and motorcades carrying Ukrainian leaders and top army commanders.
The reports come after Putin issued an ultimatum to Britain, demanding the UK abandon its nuclear protection of European allies as part of a proposed deal to end the war in Ukraine. A document drawn up by Russian negotiators sets out a series of sweeping conditions Moscow wants met before agreeing to peace, including forcing Britain and France to withdraw their nuclear protection from other European countries.
The demands, which would fundamentally reshape Europe's security arrangements, are contained in a paper dated November 10 and obtained by The New York Times from a person involved in the negotiations.
