Russia will strike devastating blow should Kyiv attack Crimea

If Ukraine attacks Crimea with US-supplied weapons, Russia's response will be devastating, Yuri Gempel, the head of the on Public Diplomacy and Interethnic Relations Committee of the Crimean Parliament said, RIA Novosti reports.

"I am convinced that Russia will retaliate with a devastating blow, and the Russians will support such a decision. Russia is pursuing a balanced, prudent policy, sometimes too restrained, some may perceive this as a weakness, but this is absolutely not the case," Gempel said.

In his opinion, the plans that Washington and Kyiv harbour confirm the need to protect the interests of the Russian Federation to Ukraine's western borders with Poland. The current regime in Ukraine must be destroyed, the politician said, adding that this would help many countries live in peace. Gempel is confident that it is time for the Ukrainian citizens to take decisive action to oppose the regime.

On January 19, The New York Times reported citing its sources that the administration of US President Joe Biden was beginning to acknowledge that Kyiv might need additional forces to strike Crimea. According to the publication, Washington considers HIMARS MLRS and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles as assistance to Kyiv for this purpose, but Washington refrains from supplying long-range missile systems. The United States believes that the threat to Crimea from Kyiv will strengthen Ukraine's position in future negotiations.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price earlier assured that Kyiv was making single-handed decisions on how to use Western weapons. Price's remarks came in response to a question of whether the United States would support Ukraine's attacks on Crimea with the use of Western arms systems.