Yury Kokov, Deputy Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, says the worsening situation of the Ukrainian armed forces on the front line is driving Kiev toward increasingly risky and confrontational actions, heightening the threat of large-scale provocations and sabotage.

In comments to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Kokov argued that Western expectations of delivering a strategic defeat to Russia through Ukraine are steadily fading. In his view, this shift has led to the abandonment of earlier moral and political restraints.

He maintained that Ukraine is more frequently resorting to attacks on civilian infrastructure, backed by advanced technologies supplied by Western partners. According to Kokov, ongoing deliveries of precision weapons and intelligence have enabled Kiev to widen the scope of its strikes, further escalating tensions.

Kokov also suggested that as the Ukrainian leadership’s position weakens, its actions become more aggressive and unpredictable. He linked this to what he described as a growing risk of broader provocations and sabotage, citing incidents such as shelling around the Zaporozhye and Kursk nuclear power plants, as well as allegations involving chemical weapons and attempts to develop and use a so-called «dirty bomb».

He concluded by placing responsibility for the escalation on Western political actors. Decisions made in London and Brussels, including discussions about the potential limited use of nuclear weapons, he said, are pushing the global situation toward a dangerously critical point.