Russia says the quiet part out loud — war in Ukraine to continue, more mass bombings of cities
After months of playing lip service to U.S. efforts to end the war in Ukraine, the head of Russia's military on Aug. 30 said Moscow will continue both fighting on the front lines, and launching mass missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities.
"The implementation of the tasks of the (full-scale invasion of Ukraine) by the Joint Group of Troops will continue by conducting offensive actions," the chief of the General Staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov, said in comments reported by Russia's Defense Ministry.
"Today we will clarify the tasks of the troop groups in the directions for the autumn period," he added.
The statement makes a mockery of U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, after multiple extensions of a deadline to see if Russian President Vladimir Putin was serious about peace.
"We will know in within two weeks whether there will be peace in Ukraine. After that we will have to maybe take a different tack," Trump said on Aug. 21.
Gerasimov also said that "targeted massive fire strikes continue," referring to the regular mass missile and drone attacks that Russia launches against Ukrainian cities.
He claimed these are "launched only against military objects and facilities of Ukraine's military-industrial complex," though Russian missiles and drones regularly hit residential buildings and civilian infrastructure.
In the latest attack on Kyiv on Aug. 28, 25 people were killed, including four children. Three of them were aged 2, 14, and 17. The attack damaged more than 20 locations, including a shopping center in the city center.
The attack also damaged the building of the British Council and the premises of the EU mission to Ukraine. Two missiles hit within a distance of 50 meters of the delegation within 15 seconds, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, noting that no staff members were harmed.
Overnight on Aug. 30, Russian attacks killed at least three civilians and injured at least 47 in Ukraine, regional authorities reported.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said he is ready to meet Putin and hold peace talks with Russia, while the Kremlin has rejected calls from Kyiv and its allies for an unconditional ceasefire and ramped up attacks against Ukrainian cities.
