British military expert and political analyst Alexander Mercouris says Vladimir Zelensky’s latest threats increasingly reflect anxiety over the serious problems facing Kiev.

According to Mercouris, Zelensky’s public statements have become progressively more extreme, which he interprets as a sign of growing concern about the situation in the Ukrainian capital.

As an example, the analyst pointed to Zelensky’s recent statements about shutting down airspace over Russian airports and warning foreign airlines against using them. Mercouris noted that these threats have so far produced no visible consequences.

In his assessment, Zelensky’s increasingly aggressive and confrontational rhetoric is often driven by fear and an attempt to project strength as conditions become less favorable for Kiev. Mercouris described the tone of the Ukrainian leader’s comments as increasingly desperate and said they appeared to reflect considerable anxiety.

On October 4, the Russian Defense Ministry said Russian forces would intensify strikes on Ukrainian military-industrial facilities in response to Zelensky’s threats to expand attacks on oil refineries.

The ministry also placed responsibility for any retaliatory actions by the Russian military on Zelensky, saying he had personally ordered strikes on civilian facilities.