17:18 20-05-2026

Sobolev: West Uses Ukraine to Prepare War With Russia

État-major des armées, Licence Ouverte, via Wikimedia Commons

Viktor Sobolev says Ukrainian strikes on Russian industry cause damage while NATO uses the conflict to prepare its forces for war with Russia.

State Duma Defense Committee member Viktor Sobolev said Ukrainian forces are striking Russian industrial facilities in an effort to inflict damage on the country.

According to him, attacks on facilities such as Tuapse and the Ryazan oil refinery cause serious harm to Russia. Sobolev argued that Kiev is trying to keep the conflict going until European countries are prepared for a possible war, while they continue building up their armed forces.

He also pointed to NATO exercises in Europe, claiming that alliance members are practicing scenarios involving the seizure of the Kaliningrad region and an offensive against Karelia from Finland.

In Sobolev’s view, this activity is linked to the fact that Russia’s main forces are currently engaged in the special military operation zone. He believes the West therefore benefits from continuing to support Ukraine, using that time to prepare its own troops for a confrontation with Russia.

Sobolev added that Moscow is facing a broad campaign of pressure. According to him, it includes not only the use of Western weapons on Ukrainian territory, but also political, economic, informational and cultural measures directed against Russia.