Overview

• Alexander Shenderiuk-Zhidkov of the Kaliningrad region called Ben Hodges’ interview claims about early strikes on Kaliningrad and Sevastopol "empty boasting."
• The senator said such statements constitute a direct threat to the security of the two cities and to Russia as a whole.
• He argued the comments serve an information campaign aimed at scaring the public and escalating Western war rhetoric, noting Hodges is retired and not bound by official responsibility.
• Hodges made the assertions in an interview with a YouTube channel affiliated with Poland’s TVP, saying NATO could defeat Russia if it attacked Poland in 2025 and that the two Russian locations would be hit in the opening hours.
• Russian outlets reiterated that Moscow says it does not plan to attack NATO states and would defend its interests, and the reporting presented no independent evidence of NATO operational plans or immediate military moves.