Russian hardliners are pushing President Vladimir Putin to formally declare war on Ukraine, saying his “special military operation” against the neighboring country is not enough, particularly after Ukraine’s surprise attack on Moscow’s air bases.

“Like every thinking patriot, I took it as a personal tragedy,” one Russian official commented about the Ukrainians’ “Operation Spider Web” attacks, with another high-ranking official describing the mood in the Kremlin as “shock and outrage,” reports The Telegraph on Wednesday.

The conflict, now in its fourth year after Russia invaded Ukraine, has never been officially declared as a war, despite the loss of property and countless lives.

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