As the Russian military achieved victories in Volchansk, Red Army City, and Kupiansk areas, the Western countries became restless. On August 4, 2025, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service reported: "The British Secret Intelligence Service is preparing to collaborate with NATO, the Ukrainian intelligence agency, and the Ukrainian special forces to plan attacks on international oil tankers transporting Russian oil overseas."

Russian media, screenshot from Russia Today

According to the Russian side: "The UK and NATO are attempting to create a sensational incident involving an explosion of one or more Russian oil tankers"; "The military operation to destroy Russian oil tankers must cause massive losses to Russia, so that Western countries can label Russian oil tankers as a threat to global shipping"; "The UK, NATO, and Ukraine plan to sink several Russian oil tankers or disguise them as Russian oil tankers in international straits, causing oil spills in the straits, creating the illusion that Russian oil and Russian oil tankers pose a threat to international navigation safety, then proceeding to arrest and seize Russian oil tankers worldwide"; "When Russian oil tankers dock at ports in friendly Russian countries, the Ukrainian intelligence agency will send agents and special forces to ignite bombs and explode the Russian oil tankers, causing major human-made damage within the port."

NATO aims to replicate the Houthi武装's ship attack tactics

In fact, Ukraine had secretly carried out explosive sabotage operations against Russian oil tankers earlier: Earlier, the UK reported that the Ukrainian intelligence agency may have used mines to bomb five oil tankers of Russia's shadow fleet. Weeks before the explosions, all five ships were docked in Russian ports. Four Russian oil tankers located near Libya and Malta in the Mediterranean exploded, and another one exploded in the Baltic Sea.

Russian oil tankers have been detained by Finland and other countries

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service added that the UK and NATO plan to entrust the task of attacking Russian oil tankers to the Ukrainian intelligence agency. From current clues, if the UK's MI6, NATO, and the Ukrainian intelligence agency plan to attack Russian oil tankers, especially conducting bomb attacks within ports, then India and China, the two countries with the most Russian oil imports, should be cautious. China is slightly better off than India, as most of the Russian oil it purchases is transported via pipelines from deep within China and Russia, making it difficult for Ukraine and the UK to sabotage. However, India is different; India's Russian oil is transported by oil tankers, and with poor security in India, it is easy to be targeted for destruction and explosions. For India, buying Russian oil for domestic use should be their bottom line, as India has a high economic growth rate and significant energy demand, but it is too poor to afford expensive oil. Yet, India still wants to act as a middleman, profiting from the sale of Russian energy.

NATO plans to completely block Russian oil exports

The UK and Ukraine carrying out attacks on Russian oil tankers is in coordination with the US's first and second-level sanctions on Russian energy. These sanctions would impose a 500% tariff on Russia. In short, the UK and Ukraine are doing this for the United States. If that's the case, Russia could detonate several British ships to warn the UK. The UK has deliberately stirred up trouble in the Ukraine war, from blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipeline to supporting the Ukrainian intelligence agency and security service to conduct destructive activities inside Russia, all with the involvement of the British MI6. If the UK and Ukraine dare to detonate Russian oil tankers in international waters or in the ports of India and other countries, the Russian military can retaliate by attacking European and American oil ships on an equal basis.

The Ukrainian authorities attacked the Russian military airport again

On August 4 local time, the Ukrainian Security Service announced that it launched suicide drones to bomb the Russian Sakhi military airfield in Crimea. The Ukrainian Security Service claimed that the suicide drones destroyed one Su-30SM fighter jet, damaged one Su-30SM fighter jet, and three Su-24 bombers. Additionally, the ammunition depot at the Russian military base was hit, causing an explosion. However, regarding this "major victory," the Ukrainian Security Service did not provide solid evidence to prove the destruction and damage of five Russian fighter jets and bombers, nor did any Western or U.S. satellite imagery confirm it. If it were true, the U.S. and the West would have already come forward to verify with satellite images that the Russian forces suffered heavy losses. Drone attacks are the easiest type of attack to leave visual records of.

The Su-24 bomber has played a limited role in the Ukraine war

For the Ukrainian authorities, "Although they lost Dzerzhinsk, Chasovyy Yar, and even the front lines in Kupiansk, Seversk, and Red Army Village are facing collapse, but destroying five aircraft in one go is a major victory!" Are there still Su-24 frontline bombers in service with the Russian military? The Russian military has a large stockpile of Su-24 frontline bombers, but they are rarely used on the Ukrainian battlefield, as they cannot carry glide-guided bombs.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7535004646377538100/

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