'Starting point' to yet another Russian offensive in Ukraine? New cryptic message says so for March 23

Moscow: In what appears to be the “starting point” of yet another Russian offensive in Ukraine, subways and various government agencies in Moscow have reportedly started featuring a new cryptic advertisement indicating towards something beginning March 23.

In a viral video, a message displayed on screens in metro read, “March 23… Starting point… Follow the news”.

“Russian subway and various government agencies launched a new cryptic advertisement,” wrote the Twitter user — Clash Report — along with the video.

Russian subway and various government agencies launched a new cryptic advertisement:

March 23
Starting point
Follow the news pic.twitter.com/YRhA1zNr6d

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 22, 2023

However, no details were shared regarding the video and the message displayed on the screens.

While some users said that the video “must be fake,” others commented that it could be the “starting point of a new wave of mobilization”.

‘Declaration of War’

This comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ICC, based in The Hague, had last week announced an arrest warrant for the Russian leader, accused of deporting Ukrainian children. 

Meanwhile, Russia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev warned that attempts to arrest Vladimir Putin abroad would be seen by Moscow as a “declaration of war,” AFP reported.

Medvedev, who served as president between 2008 and 2012, said, “Let’s imagine — it’s clear that this is a situation that will never happen — but nevertheless let’s imagine it does… The current head of a nuclear state arrives on the territory of, say, Germany, and is arrested. What is this? A declaration of war against the Russian Federation.”

Medvedev said that if this happened “all of our means, rockets and others, will fly on the Bundestag, in the Chancellor’s Office and so on.” He added that the ICC’s decision will make dire relations with the West plunge further.

Ukraine needs $411 billion for ‘reconstruction, recovery’

Over a year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the World Bank on Wednesday said Kyiv’s reconstruction and recovery needs have grown to $411 billion. The assessment, made jointly by Ukraine’s government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations, is an increase from the $349 billion estimated in a report released in September, AFP reported.

The latest evaluation expects Kyiv to require $14 billion for critical and priority reconstruction and recovery investments in 2023. Meeting these needs will call for $11 billion in financing beyond what Ukraine’s government has already addressed in its 2023 budget, according to the assessment.

According to reports, the Russia-Ukraine war has displaced millions of people in Ukraine, and global food and energy prices surged on the fallout from the war.

“Energy infrastructure, housing, critical infrastructure, economy and humanitarian demining are our five priorities for this year,” Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said in a statement.

The $411 billion needed is 2.6 times the country’s estimated gross domestic product for 2022. The war has tipped 7.1 million people into poverty, undoing 15 years of development progress and worsening inequalities, the assessment said.

It further noted that direct damage to buildings and infrastructure comes to more than $135 billion.

(With inputs from AFP)

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