Putin can't think of anything more than terror

Vladimir Putin's response to the historic defeat in Cherson is that of an injured and battered autocrat who fears for his influence. The Russian military fired dozens of rockets at targets from east to west Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon. More than ten regions and cities reported attacks, repeatedly targeting critical infrastructure. According to official figures, a majority of households in Lviv and Ternopil are without electricity after the impacts. In Kyiv, a bomb hit a housing estate house, which burst into flames. Reports appeared in the evening that two rockets had hit a Polish border town. At the time this comment was published, there was no official confirmation of the incident.

The timing of this hail of bombs was not chosen at random. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj traveled to Kherson on Monday to celebrate the liberation of the city with residents. On Tuesday, world leaders gathered at the G-20 summit in Bali, the outcome of which further weakens and isolates the Kremlin. Russia's war should be clearly named in the final declaration, as WELT reported. In addition, the countries agreed on a warning against the use of nuclear weapons, and China also supports this.

Russia's motives are obvious.

1: Putin wants to bomb Ukraine into a blackout this winter with targeted attacks on critical infrastructure. More than 40 percent of the power plants have already been destroyed by impacts. The situation is critical not only in big cities like Kyiv and Kharkiv, but also in many villages across the country. Kyiv is already preparing for the scenario of a complete blackout and evacuations. Vice Prime Minister Irina Wereshchuk is calling on compatriots who have fled to spend the winter due to the situation in Europe.

2: Putin wants to create chaos and sow fear. Russia hopes to break the morale of the Ukrainians with the terror bombing after all. Anyone currently traveling through the country recognizes that there are no signs that this will succeed. The military successes in Kharkiv and Cherson inspire the country. After nine months of war, instead of sadness, there is a “Now more than ever” attitude. Despite all the consequences of the war, the willingness to support Ukraine in many Western countries remains high. The Kremlin is fighting back with hybrid warfare and wants to scare people. European countries, including Germany, have recently increased the protection of their critical infrastructure.

3: Putin would like to freeze the war. So far, Russia has only sent a few tens of thousands of soldiers out of a total of around 300,000 new, partially mobilized forces to the front. Proper training takes months. Time that the Kremlin wants to buy to risk a new advance with the reinforcements, possibly in the spring. Because militarily the situation looks bleak at the moment. In the east, despite great efforts, Russian troops are unable to break through in the Donbass. They continue to lose ground in the south and the former dreams of expansion towards Odessa have been destroyed for the time being by the retreat in Cherson. Russia is also focusing on the time factor with regard to the West. The hope is that the willingness to provide support will decrease or that the political situation will change, for example as a result of the outcome of the US elections.

For the West, all of this can only mean not deviating an inch from the previous line. Neither in humanitarian nor in military support. The federal government could best do this by supplying battle tanks and armored personnel carriers. When, if not now. Russia is weaker than ever before in this war. The new bombings are a sign of defiance and desperation. Putin can't think of anything more than terror.

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