Russian lawmakers to demand use of weapons against ‘terrorist Kiev regime’ — Duma speaker

Members of Russia’s State Duma (the lower house of parliament) will demand the use of weapons to destroy the "terrorist regime" in Ukraine, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.
"We will demand the use of weapons capable of stopping and destroying the terrorist Kiev regime," he pointed out, commenting on a drone attack on the Kremlin.

"The terrorist Kiev regime, which has taken over the entire country, threatens the security of Russia, Europe and the whole world. The Western politicians who are flooding [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky’s regime with weapons must understand that they have become not just sponsors of but direct accomplices to terrorist acts. There can be no talks with the Zelensky regime," Volodin emphasized.

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  The Federation Council so far hasn’t changed its schedule following the overnight drone attack on the Kremlin, Andrey Klishas, the head of the council’s committee on constitutional legislation and statehood, told TASS on Wednesday.

"No special sessions have been called, but the house’s council, led by Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko, has the right to convene a meeting at any time, depending on the situation," the lawmaker said.

When asked if he believed there were conditions to introduce martial law in the country in connection with the incident, Klishas said only that it was up to the Russian president.

Vyacheslav Timchenko, the head of Federation Council’s Committee on Procedure and Organization of Parliamentary Activity, also told TASS that the upper house wasn’t currently planning any special sessions.

According to the Russian Constitution, the Federation Council has the authority to endorse presidential decrees on introducing martial law, a state of emergency and the use of the Russian Armed Forces abroad. The Constitution also stipulates that the Federation Council has to consider any bills concerning war and peace that were adopted by the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house.

Under the law On Defense, war is declared by a federal law in the event of an armed attack on Russia by another country or a group of countries, as well as when it’s required to do so to comply with Russia’s international agreements.