Russia's Medvedev: Attack on Crimea will ignite 'Judgement Day' response

MOSCOW -The refusal of Ukraine and Western powers to recognise Moscow’s management of Crimea poses a “systemic risk” for Russia and any exterior assault on the area will immediate a “Judgment Day” response, former president Dmitry Medvedev mentioned on Sunday.

Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after a pro-Moscow president in Kyiv was toppled amid mass avenue protests. Moscow then additionally backed pro-Russian armed separatists within the Donbas area of jap Ukraine.

Within the occasion of an assault on Crimea, Medvedev was quoted by TASS information company as saying, “Judgment Day will come very quick and arduous. It is going to be very tough to cover.”

Medvedev didn't elaborate however has beforehand warned the USA of the risks of trying to punish a nuclear energy comparable to Russia over its actions in Ukraine, saying this might endanger humanity.

His feedback have been aired a day after a Ukrainian official urged that Crimea, which a lot of the world nonetheless recognises as a part of Ukraine, may very well be a goal for U.S.-made HIMARS missiles, just lately deployed by Kyiv because it battles Russian forces.

Earlier on Sunday, Interfax information company quoted Medvedev as telling World Battle Two veterans: “If another state, be it Ukraine or NATO international locations, believes that Crimea is just not Russian, then it is a systemic risk for us.”

“It is a direct and an express risk, particularly given what had occurred to Crimea. Crimea returned to Russia,” mentioned Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Safety Council.

Vadym Skibitskyi, an official at Ukrainian navy intelligence, was requested on Saturday in a televised interview if HIMARS may very well be used on targets in Crimea.

He mentioned Russia had carried out strikes on Ukrainian territory from Crimea and the Black Sea and so these have been additionally justified targets.

Crimea is of specific strategic significance to Russia because it contains the headquarters of its Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol.