Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev, recently promoted by President Vladimir Putin, has openly stated that Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine serves as a mere “stepping stone” toward future conflicts with Europe.
The General, who was elevated to the rank of Colonel-General, has been leading Russian military operations in Ukraine.
In an interview with Moscow’s state-run Russia-1 channel, Mordvichev expressed his belief that Putin’s war will be protracted and will eventually expand beyond Ukraine’s borders.
When asked about the duration of the conflict, he replied, “I think there’s still plenty of time ahead. Specifying a time frame is futile. Once we turn our attention to Eastern Europe, as we inevitably will, it will require an even longer commitment.”
The interviewer sought clarification, asking, “So, Ukraine is merely a starting point?”
Mordvichev affirmed, “Yes, precisely. It’s just the beginning.” He emphasized that the conflict “will not stop here.”
Notably, this statement aligns with previous hints from Putin’s allies, suggesting the possibility of extending Russia’s military actions into NATO member countries, including Poland and other Eastern European nations.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected any notion of Ukraine conceding territory to Russia as a means to end the war.
Zelensky pointed out, “Have you seen any compromises from Putin on other issues?” He made this statement as Russia concluded elections in four Ukrainian regions—Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson—that Moscow annexed a year earlier.
Zelensky also reported progress in Ukraine’s three-month-old counteroffensive against Russian occupying forces in the eastern and southern regions. He mentioned advances in the Tavria sector and the Bakhmut sector while Ukrainian forces maintained their positions on other fronts in the east.
Russia continued its strikes against Ukraine and conducted an airstrike on Kyiv using 33 drones, with debris falling across multiple districts of the capital. Kyiv officials reported that 26 of the drones were intercepted, causing no significant damage but resulting in four injuries.
Russia’s defence ministry announced the downing of eight drones launched by Ukraine over the Black Sea near Crimea and the destruction of three United States-made military speedboats carrying Ukrainian military personnel northeast of Snake Island; Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.
Tragically, two humanitarian aid workers—Emma Igual from Spain and Anthony Ihnat from Canada—lost their lives in Ukraine when a missile struck their vehicle near Bakhmut. Two other foreign volunteers with the “Road to Relief” group sustained injuries.
In terms of diplomacy, Russia recently concluded widely condemned elections in the partially occupied regions of Ukraine’s south and east, which it claimed to have annexed last year.
The Council of Europe, Europe’s leading human rights organization, labelled these elections a flagrant violation of international law. Kyiv and its allies condemned the move as an illegal attempt to solidify Moscow’s control over the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions, which Ukraine is actively working to reclaim.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a commitment to provide an additional $2 billion in aid to Ukraine, starting in 2025, in addition to the $300 million pledged for the following year.
At the same time, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated that Vladimir Putin would not face arrest if he attended the Group of 20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro the following year.
This assurance came despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for Putin in connection with alleged war crimes; however, Russia has consistently denied allegations of war crimes or any wrongdoing regarding Ukrainian children.
On a separate note, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un marked North Korea’s 75th founding anniversary with a parade featuring paramilitary forces and a commitment to strengthen ties with China and Russia. The United States has indicated that Kim plans to hold a summit with Putin in the near future and explore arms sales to Moscow.
The Last Bit, The unsettling statements by Colonel-General Andrey Mordvichev, promoted by President Putin to a higher military rank, have shed light on Russia’s ambitions beyond Ukraine.
As Mordvichev himself admitted, Ukraine is viewed as merely a “stepping stone” in Russia’s larger strategic plans for Europe; this revelation has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the region’s future, with the possibility of the conflict extending beyond Ukraine’s borders and into other Eastern European nations.
