Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called the Western nations' actions against his country a 'war without rules,' and urged Russian authorities to retaliate by exploiting every possible weakness of the United States and its allies, while causing maximum damage.

“Are they afraid that we would transfer our arms to the enemies of the Western world? We should send every kind of weapon, except nuclear (for now)!” Medvedev wrote on social media. “Are they afraid of anarchy and crime waves in large cities? We should help disrupt their municipal authorities!”

He said Russia could trigger a war in space, wage a psychological warfare campaign against Western citizens so that they “tremble under blankets in their cozy homes” and unleash a tsunami of fake news “to turn their life into a never-ending nightmare, in which they cannot distinguish reality from the wildest fiction.”

Moscow should “obliterate their energy infrastructure, industry, transport, banking and social services. Instil fear over an imminent collapse of all critical infrastructure,” according to Medvedev, who currently serves as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council.

The US’ most recent sanctions against Russian entities have impacted key sectors including energy, metals and mining, as well as the financial sector. The Moscow Stock Exchange suspended all trade in US dollars and euros as a result.

According to estimates from the US Treasury, the new sanctions affect over $100 million in trade between Russia and its foreign partners, making it one of the biggest packages since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.