Moscow has begun a political and intelligence escalation against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating that he "is no longer the president of Ukraine," as his presidential term officially ended by last night. This comes as the pressure from Russian forces intensifies at the battle fronts, aiming to create instability within Ukraine's internal situation. Presidential elections in Ukraine were scheduled for the end of March, but this event was canceled due to the ongoing war.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service published a detailed report on the internal situation in Ukraine, indicating that Zelensky's popularity has dropped to 17%, with this trend continuing downward. The report noted that over 70% of the population has lost trust in government institutions and Ukrainian media, while about 90% of citizens wish to leave the country.
The report also highlighted that Zelensky feels his position among Ukrainians is weak, which is why he has initiated purges of senior officials. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev announced yesterday that Zelensky, as the head of an adversarial regime, is a legitimate military target for Russia, regardless of his legitimacy after the cancellation of the elections.
Medvedev stated to TASS: "For Russia, the loss of the false president of Ukraine changes nothing regarding his legitimacy. He heads a political system hostile to Russia and is waging war against us. Leaders of countries that wage war are always considered legitimate military targets; for us, he is a war criminal, and losing his official position changes nothing."
