Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attend a press conference following their meeting over Ukraine security at the Kremlin, in Moscow, on February 15, 2022. – The Kremlin earlier confirmed a pullback of some Russian forces from Ukraine’s borders but said the move was planned and stressed Russia would continue to move troops across the country as it saw fit. (Photo by Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / AFP)
MOSCOW — The Kremlin, officials and Russian public figures on Wednesday made fun of Western media for running with February 16 as the “invasion date” when Russia might attack Ukraine.
“I’d like to ask if US and British sources of disinformation … could publish the schedule of our upcoming invasions for the year. I’d like to plan my holidays,” Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on social media.
Western intelligence had warned that Moscow could choose Wednesday to escalate an ongoing separatist conflict in Ukraine, after building up a force estimated at more than 100,000 troops around Ukraine’s borders.
They said however that the date could be part of a Russian disinformation efforts.
Some media, citing intelligence reports, specified Russian attacks could begin early Wednesday morning.
In a briefing with journalists later Wednesday, Zakharova quipped that, “today, we celebrate another day of non-aggression against Ukraine, and another day that will bring us closer to some kind of war that everyone promised us”.
“The night passed as usual. We slept peacefully. In the morning we started the day calmly and professionally,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Asked whether the Kremlin had been in contact with representatives from other countries in the early hours of the day, he replied: “We are not used to contact with foreign countries at night.”
“Frankly, the way the Western hysteria is developing indicates there is a long way to go until it culminates. There won’t be a remission any time soon, we should be patient,” Peskov added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who spoke with his US counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the eve of the date, said reports of attack timing had spurred confusion among officials.
“I wouldn’t say it amuses us, but of course it leaves us deeply perplexed,” Lavrov said.
Russian media personalities weighed in, with reality television star and one-time presidential hopeful Ksenia Sobchak saying Western “hysteria” had made Putin look “mature”.
“You can’t imagine a better PR campaign for Russia,” she wrote on social media.
Alexei Pushkov, a vocal Russian senator and Kremlin ally, said the Western hype surrounding February 16 would “remain in the history of world politics”.
“Aside from the lead-up to the war in Iraq, there has never been such a monumental political fake news item in modern history,” he wrote on social media.