Dmitry Medvedev, a member of the Russian Security Council, called for the total obliteration of Kyiv following a massive overnight drone assault [1].
The rhetoric signals an escalation in the psychological warfare campaign against Ukraine, suggesting a strategy aimed at breaking the national will through the destruction of historic and symbolic landmarks.
Medvedev said that Russia should "fire more Oreshniks" to devastate the capital [1]. He said that the goal should be leaving "ruins and gray ashes" where the historic symbols of Kyiv once stood [1].
These comments followed an overnight attack on the city involving 700 drones [1]. The scale of the assault underscores the continued intensity of aerial operations targeting Ukrainian urban centers.
Medvedev said that destroying the capital would serve as a psychological weapon to break the Ukrainian people [1]. By focusing on the total destruction of the city, the official emphasized a shift toward maximizing the visibility of ruins to demoralize the population.
Russia has previously utilized various missile systems to target infrastructure throughout the conflict. The specific call for more Oreshnik missiles indicates a preference for high-impact weaponry to achieve the stated goal of total obliteration [1].
The former president's statements align with a broader pattern of aggressive rhetoric from the Security Council, often used to signal Russian intentions or pressure international supporters of Ukraine.
“"Fire more Oreshniks"”
The call for the 'total obliteration' of Kyiv represents a shift from tactical military targeting toward an explicit strategy of urban erasure. By specifically targeting historic symbols and calling for the use of Oreshnik missiles, Russia is attempting to employ psychological terror as a primary tool to force a Ukrainian collapse, moving beyond the mere degradation of military infrastructure.
