The Russian Federation is ramping up strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, attempting to force the country into surrender by pressuring the civilian population. This opinion was expressed by Yevhen Dykyi, a veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the director of the National Antarctic Scientific Center.
This is reported by Finway
Winter Terror Campaign: Calculating on Cold and Fatigue of the Population
According to Yevhen Dykyi, Russia hopes to take advantage of the cold season, when its traditional “ally” – frost – can significantly worsen living conditions for Ukrainians. Over the next month, while winter continues, Russian attacks are likely to create particularly difficult conditions for the civilian population. However, with the onset of warmer weather, the effectiveness of such shelling will decrease.
“They hope to pressure us into surrender while their eternal ally General Frost is still helping them. They have about a month left during which they can make life very, very uncomfortable for our civilian population. After that, it will objectively become significantly warmer, and strikes of the same intensity will have much less effect,” Dykyi said.
Betting on Pressure Through Society as a Sign of Military Powerlessness
Dykyi emphasized that Russia does not expect to gain an advantage on the front within a month. Instead, the enemy is betting on massive attacks on critical infrastructure to force Ukrainians to demand that the authorities sign a peace agreement on any terms. According to the Russian side, public sentiment is the most vulnerable aspect of democracy.
He noted that the Russian army has effectively acknowledged its inability to achieve a breakthrough on the battlefield, so the main focus is now on psychological and social pressure on civilians. The Kremlin hopes that Ukrainians will start demanding that the authorities agree to Russian “peace” terms, which entail the complete surrender of the country.
Dykyi stressed that the price of such peace is Ukraine’s actual renunciation of the struggle and acceptance of the “Russian world” without resistance. According to him, the enemy is in a hurry right now, while the heating season has not yet ended and the threat to the country’s energy stability remains.