Russia will resort to provoking riots and shooting citizens “on the spot” after its early attempts to crush resistance faltered, Ukraine’s ambassador has warned.
In chilling evidence to MPs, Vadym Prystaiko predicted a “second part” of the invasion is looming, after Moscow’s troops were not “greeted with flowers” as Vladimir Putin had claimed.
This would involve introducing “martial law” in cities it held and dealing with Ukrainian who still resisted in a “military way”, a committee of MPs was told.
“Resilience is going so much against his plans and people in Russia are starting to ask questions ‘what are we doing there and why?’,” Mr Prystaiko said.
“So I believe they might use the tactics we should describe as the second part – try to block our cities, try to soften political position, try maybe some riots in Ukraine.”
This could see residents “ordered to leave or be shot on the spot,” the ambassador to the UK told the Commons foreign affairs committee.
During the session, Mr Prystaiko also said:
* Ukrainians currently have food, water and electricity – but warned: “This infrastructure are starting to be targeted”.
* Poland and Slovakia, currently welcoming huge numbers of refugees would “sooner or later run out” of hotels, houses and sports facilities for them.
* Wounded Russian troops were being “treated in our own hospitals, along with our own people” – and would be returned to Russia “when the war is over”.
* Experts “came up with nothing” when they war-gamed would persuade Putin to end the invasion – warning: “He doesn’t need anything – he doesn’t want anything.”
* There is thought to be no-one senior in Putin’s inner circle ready to turn on him – arguing the “only soft spot he still has is his own population”.
Highlighting how Russia has met resistance it never expected, the ambassador told the MPs: “People are throwing Molotov cocktails from their cars passing by Russian tanks.”
But he suggested he had little hope for the negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, saying “we just stated our positions and went back to our capitals”.
The Kremlin was demanding demilitarisation of Ukraine and recognition of the annexed state of Crimea as Russian territory.
On how Putin’s assault can be defeated, Mr Prystaiko said: “The only soft spot he still has is his own population. The circle around him, we don’t believe that they are self-sufficient or risky enough to tell him no.”
