美国国家公共电台 NPR--Russia is hit with more airstrikes. Does this point to an escalation in the war?

Russia is hit with more airstrikes. Does this point to an escalation¹ in the war?

Transcript²

For well over a year, Russia has carried out airstrikes across Ukraine. Now Russia finds itself on the receiving end, including drones that hit apartment buildings in Moscow.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

For well over a year, Russia has carried out long-range airstrikes throughout Ukraine. Now Russia finds itself on the receiving end of strikes, including drones that hit buildings in Moscow on Tuesday. To find out if this points to an escalation in the war, we're joined by NPR's Greg Myre. Greg, let's get this out of the way. Ukraine's military - were they behind the drones that hit those apartment buildings yesterday?

GREG MYRE, BYLINE³: Well, Ukraine isn't saying, and it's always been intentionally⁴ vague about attacks on Russian soil. This really seems to be part of a larger strategy to keep Russia off balance. Now, Russia says it's certain that Ukraine was responsible. It calls them terrorist attacks, even though Russia's been doing this in Ukraine throughout the war. Now, basically, every military analyst⁵ I've spoken with believes Ukraine is responsible. No one else has the motive⁶ or the resources to carry out such a substantial attack.

MART?NEZ: Now, that damage was minimal⁷ in that drone attack. So what might Ukraine be hoping to achieve?

MYRE: Yeah, this attack, which had involved at least eight drones and a drone attack on the Kremlin at the beginning of the month, they really had no military impact, but they do appear to have a psychological impact. These strikes certainly got Russia's attention. It drove home to Russian citizens they could be vulnerable. And I think what's really important is the broader context here. Russian areas just across the border from Ukraine are also getting hit with greater regularity⁸, and the land controlled by the Russian military inside Ukraine is getting slammed with longer-range weapons, apparently⁹ by missiles recently provided by Britain. This appears to be part of a Ukrainian effort to hit Russia in as many places as possible. Many think this is actually the first stage of a major Ukrainian offensive that, in effect, is already beginning.

MART?NEZ: And I know President Biden has always been concerned about the war escalating¹⁰ or maybe even spreading to other parts of Europe. Does the U.S. oppose attacks inside Russia?

MYRE: Well, in general, the Biden administration doesn't really like these cross-border attacks for the reason you've just cited, but it's taken a very clear position that does give the Ukrainians some room to maneuver¹¹. Here's General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint¹² Chiefs, restating that position last week at the Pentagon.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MARK MILLEY: We have asked the Ukrainians not to use U.S.-supplied equipment for direct attacks into Russia. Why is that? This is a Ukrainian war. It is not a war between the United States and Russia. It's not a war between NATO and Russia.

MYRE: So left unsaid is that Ukraine can make its own decisions about attacking Russia as long as it does so with its own weapons. And this does seem to be the case. As far as we can tell, Ukraine has abided by this U.S. request.

MART?NEZ: All right. Well, that distinction may mean something to the U.S. Does Russia accept it?

MYRE: No, A, they really don't. Russian leader Vladimir Putin likes to say his country is battling all of NATO, and he doesn't care, at least in his public statements, about where a Ukrainian weapon is manufactured. But there is a sense that Russia is already doing what it can with its conventional arsenal¹³ and doesn't really have much room to escalate¹⁴. Russia's ground forces have struggled mightily¹⁵ to take territory. Russian missiles and drones get shot down. There's a much greater expectation that we'll see Ukraine escalate as its long-awaited offensive comes more into focus.

MART?NEZ: That's NPR's Greg Myre. Greg, thanks.

MYRE: Sure thing, A.

1 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

7 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

8 regularity   

n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐

参考例句：

• The idea is to maintain the regularity of the heartbeat.问题就是要维持心跳的规律性。
• He exercised with a regularity that amazed us.他锻炼的规律程度令我们非常惊讶。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

11 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

12 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

13 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

14 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

15 mightily   

ad.强烈地；非常地

参考例句：

• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet. 他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
• This seemed mightily to relieve him. 干完这件事后，他似乎轻松了许多。