Night shelling of Kyiv is part of russia’s strategy, it tries to pass it off as “revenge” – political analyst Ihor Chalenko
Russia is trying to create the impression that Ukraine itself is refusing “peace offers”, although in reality these are ultimatums. This was stated in a comment to OstroV by political analyst and head of the Center for Analysis and Strategies Ihor Chalenko.
“From a military logic point of view, russia is acting according to a clearly defined plan: dismantling Ukrainian statehood, oppressing the civilian population, and destroying Ukraine’s defensive potential. We see that they attack not only military targets but also civilian infrastructure – residential neighborhoods, energy facilities, enterprises”, - the expert noted.
According to him, these attacks are accompanied by informational and psychological pressure.
“Russia is trying to create the impression that Ukraine itself refuses the ‘peace offers’, although in fact these are ultimatums. At the same time, they intensify massive shelling, presenting it as ‘revenge’ for our actions. But preparation for such strikes lasts for weeks – these are not impulsive acts, but part of a strategy”, - Chalenko said.
The political analyst emphasized that Ukrainian special services track an approximate calendar of attacks and probable targets.
“It is only unknown which specific targets will be attacked on a given day. That is, on one hand, it is a planned military campaign, on the other hand – propaganda support designed to influence Ukrainian society and authorities, facilitating gradual capitulation”, - he added.
The expert also drew attention to the difference between the logic of russian political leadership and the military.
“Even if Ukraine were to make concessions today, this would not stop the attacks – russia would simply change tactics, postpone timings, accumulate more resources (for example, drones or missiles), and continue the strikes”, - Ihor Chalenko noted.
He stressed that Ukrainian preventive actions – such as strikes on the Engels airfield or Operation “Spiderweb” – aim to reduce the enemy’s capabilities.
“It is about the practical reduction of russia’s ability to carry out such massive attacks on us. It is clear that they will continue them. Just because of our resistance, we give our air defense the opportunity to intercept a higher percentage of targets”, - he noted.
Ihor Chalenko also emphasized: russia’s strikes are not only an attempt to pressure Ukraine but also a political game aimed at the West.
“Russia uses these attacks to politically pressure the West, playing a certain theater: supposedly, if Ukraine is forced to agree to ‘peace’, the strikes will stop. And we, on the contrary, demonstrate that the aggressor does not stop, and we need additional air defense means, especially considering that the enemy’s tactics are constantly changing”, - the political analyst concluded.