Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a subsequent TV appearance that Russia’s military could have sunk the Defender without triggering a large-scale war because, in his words, the west knows it cannot win such a conflict. Putin’s confidence may not be entirely misplaced.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
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Mark Episkopos: Putin doubts NATO can stand up to Russia in the Black Sea
This handout picture released by the Russian Defence Ministry on April 22, 2021, shows Russian forces landing a shore during a military drill along the Opuk training ground not far from the town of Kerch, on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of the Crimea.
