Kremlin Spokesman Admits War: 'Special Operation' Over, Blames the West.

Peskov Acknowledges Shift in Russia's Military Campaign

According to Novyny.live: Dmitry Peskov, the official spokesperson for Vladimir Putin, has stated that Russia's military aggression against Ukraine has escalated into a full-fledged war due to military aid provided by Western nations to Kyiv. He acknowledged that what Moscow initially called a 'special military operation' no longer applies to the current scale of hostilities.

During a press briefing, Peskov remarked that

“the special military operation turned into a real war because Western countries got drawn into the conflict”

• an airfield in Crimea;
• three ammunition depots;
• two road bridges.

Additionally, during the night of July 5, Ukraine's military launched attacks on port oil infrastructure near Saint Petersburg. Peskov labeled these actions as 'terrorist' in nature. Taken together, the battlefield developments and the Kremlin's political rhetoric signal a deepening of the conflict and a shift in its official characterization.

These statements mark a notable change in the Kremlin's messaging about the war in Ukraine, emphasizing what Russian authorities see as the key drivers of the violence. Continued Western backing for Ukraine—particularly from the United States and the European Union—is likely to shape future military operations and strategic decisions on both sides. The escalating situation is drawing growing concern from the international community, which is closely monitoring events in Eastern Europe and their potential impact on regional stability.