West's War Against Russia In Ukraine No Longer Hybrid, 'Almost Real' - Lavrov

The West has been waging not just a hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine, but almost a real one, seeking to destroy the Russian culture and language, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday

PRETORIA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2023) The West has been waging not just a hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine, but almost a real one, seeking to destroy the Russian culture and language, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday

"When we talk about what is happening in Ukraine, we are talking about the fact that this is no longer a hybrid war, but almost real war, which the West had been long preparing against Russia, seeking to destroy everything Russian, from language to culture," Lavrov said following a meeting with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor, in Pretoria.

Lavrov also accused the West of trying to stop Ukrainians from speaking Russian in an effort to erase the influence of Russian culture on Ukrainian society.

The West has ramped up military assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Russian military operation there last February, sending lethal weapons supplies, providing satellite surveillance and strategic advice, as well as conducting training missions for Ukrainian troops and ensuring hardware maintenance. In addition, Ukraine's Western allies have rolled out a massive sanctions campaign against Moscow, pushing to isolate Russia from global trade and to ban anything Russian from international events.