Medvedev escalates rhetoric as new sanctions hit Russian economy

Dmitry Medvedev called for the "destruction" of countries that imposed sanctions on Russia. On Wednesday morning, new sanctions were enacted that nearly cut off the Russian financial system from access to Western currencies. The Moscow stock exchange recorded a 15% drop.

New sanctions imposed by the West on Russia took effect early Thursday morning. As a result, Russian companies were practically cut off from easy access to euros and U.S. dollars. At least two Russian banks are grappling with serious issues, making clients unable to withdraw deposited funds.

Shortly after the MOEX stock index returned to pre-war levels, the Russian stock exchange was forced to suspend some operations. Stock valuations dropped by 15%. "Obtaining euros and U.S. dollars is practically impossible," reports Reuters.

The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation reacted to the chaos caused by the new sanctions. In a post on Telegram, Medvedev stated that "Russia must strive to cause maximum harm to the United States and its allies in connection with the sanctions imposed on this country and its citizens."

"To achieve this, we must continue to seek critical weak points in their economies and strike them in all areas. Cause damage in all places, paralyzing the work of their companies and government agencies. Destroy their energy, industry, transportation, banking, and social services" - wrote Medvedev.

According to him, Russia must provide the "enemies" of the West with all possible types of weapons, except nuclear ones, and start a war in space. Medvedev also called for organizing mass riots in major Western cities.