Capturing all of Ukraine, eliminating political leadership remain Russia’s main goals - adviser

That’s according to Serhii Leshchenko, the adviser to the head of the President's Office, who spoke at a briefing on Wednesday, analyzing the recent comments by Russia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, Ukrinform reports.

"Removing the president of Ukraine from office is one of Russia's goals, and (the Russians - ed.) will attempt to do it, including by destabilizing Ukraine from within," Leshchenko said.

The comment came in response to Medvedev’s recent posting on Telegram where he notes Russia’s “undeclared” but most important goals - "the overthrow of the ruling Banderite regime" – the goal Medvedev says "must be and will be achieved."

Thus, the ex-president of Russia brands the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv as "Russian cities that are temporarily occupied."

"He continues to insist that Kyiv will be one of the goals of Russia's continued war against Ukraine. In this way, the aggressor state continues to spread the thesis that the occupation of all of Ukraine is not only a figment of someone's imagination, but also a goal of Russia’s political leadership, despite the fact that through foreign journalists they are circulating the thesis that they are allegedly ready for negotiations, that they are not at war with Ukraine. This is a lie. Their goal is to capture all of Ukraine," Leshchenko said.

Meanwhile, as Leshchenko noted, Russia is trying to present as an "achievement" the strikes on civilian objects and peaceful citizens of Ukraine. The Russians justify strikes by claiming that they target “Ukrainian military personnel, weapons, etc.” In particular, the Russians claimed that during the latest attack on Kyiv "as many as nine Ukrainian generals were killed; Patriot systems, command centers, and foreign mercenaries were destroyed," Leshchenko emphasized.

The same lie is being spread by the Russian Ministry of Defense, which claims that the Russians killed a number of Ukrainian military when they hit the city of Kharkiv.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on January 2, Russian invaders launched a missile barrage at Ukraine. The air defense units downed 72 of 99 incoming targets, including 10 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

As a result of the Russian strike, 130 people were injured, five died, and more than 250 civilian objects were damaged.

In Kyiv, as of 13:00 on January 3, the attack’s casualty toll rose to 54. Two people were killed.

In Kyiv region, Russian missile debris damaged 14 apartment blocks and 39 private households, injuring 16 civilians and killing two.

Photo: President’s Office