This cold winter, almost every day Ukrainians expect new massive Russian strikes on the country’s energy infrastructure. The attacks are carried out methodically and brutally. There is already talk of possible strikes on distribution stations of Ukrainian nuclear power plants in order to create even greater problems with heat and electricity.
It is obvious that in this way Putin is trying to demonstrate strength and cruelty to the world, but in reality he is demonstrating nothing but weakness. Attempts to make Ukraine uninhabitable are yet another reminder of the failure of his blitzkrieg and the defeats of the Russian army.
The large-scale war that Putin launched four years ago was supposed to end within a few weeks with the occupation of most of the country’s territory, including Kyiv, and the likely annexation of eastern and southern regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. But after four years of this war, the Russian army is still unable to establish control even over the entire territory of Donetsk Oblast – and is using the so-called “peace process” in an attempt to obtain this territory without a fight, demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops.
Over these four years, Ukraine has not only failed to become a satellite state of Russia, but has obtained EU candidate status and has not abandoned its Euro-Atlantic integration. And, of course, the number of Ukrainian citizens who would want a “shared destiny” with the brutal northern neighbor is now invisible even under a political microscope.
Putin vents his anger over the defeats of his own army on Ukrainian women and children. It must be understood that the shelling of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has nothing whatsoever to do with the needs of the army or the military-industrial complex. Russians are deliberately trying to leave residential neighborhoods without electricity.
Why? First of all, to take revenge. Then to intimidate. To force Ukrainian society to accept the standard Putinist logic: Russia – or death.
There are also more strategic goals. To turn Ukraine into a territory unfit for life, to prove that a country that has chosen to resist Russian aggression simply cannot be successful. In other words, to use Ukraine as an example to intimidate others – particularly former Soviet republics toward whose territories Moscow may have its own plans. Central European countries as well: Putin still dreams of restoring the Soviet Union’s “sphere of influence” on the continent.
There is also the desire to significantly reduce the population of the neighboring country, to force Ukrainians to flee because of Russian bombardments. This demographic war has been going on for centuries – let us recall Stalin’s Holodomor. And now we are witnessing Putin’s “cold genocide.”
Politically, the Russian president cannot win, because it is impossible to conquer a country through missile strikes and attacks on infrastructure. But this does not negate the suffering of the civilian population, which becomes the victim of his treachery.
This means that instead of seeking meaningless dialogue with Putin, pressure on Russia must be increased. It means not boasting about the absence of aid to Ukraine, but strengthening this assistance – particularly by reinforcing air defense. After all, the large number of successful strikes is explained by the elementary limitation of resources.
And, of course, it is necessary to strengthen the protection of repaired energy facilities so that the enemy cannot destroy them again. And to make joint efforts to survive this difficult winter and prove the futility of Putin’s efforts.
Collage by VM
Author: Vitaly Portnikov
