Kremlin says Russia is now in state of war, everyone should understand this. "We are in a state of war. Yes, it started out as a special military operation, but as soon as this bunch was formed there, when the collective West became a participant in it on the side of Ukraine, it had become a war for us," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Russia cannot allow the existence of a state near its border that has a documented intention to use any methods to take Crimea, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.