Impact of Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia?
Russian missiles are raining down on Kyiv while Ukraine is striking targets in Russia and on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. In recent days, refineries and logistics centres belonging to online retailer Wildberries have again come under attack and been set on fire by Ukrainian drones. Commentators examine Ukraine's strategic goals and the implications for the Kremlin.
Moscow’s problems are mounting
24tv.ua comments:
“The Kremlin now has to tackle a range of problems, and this is becoming increasingly difficult. Online marketplaces have kept some parts of the private sector afloat. However, official Russian statistics now show a decline in the second quarter and in the first half of the year. And this is before the full impact of the fires and the consequences of the fuel shortages have been factored into the equation. ... Added to this is the need to tackle the mounting debt – in essence, to 'print money'. The problems in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea will also have a negative impact on trade. ... By autumn, there should at least be an incentive for dialogue on a ceasefire.”
Peace for peace
Kyiv has its own formula for ending the war, explains MP Mykola Knyazhizkyi in a Facebook post republished by Espreso:
“The war of attrition now also means, among other things, exhausting the Russian economy and society. ... Clearly, Ukraine won't end its attacks as long as Russia doesn't do the same. While many previously envisaged the end of the war according to the formula 'peace in exchange for territory’, Ukraine is now offering 'peace in exchange for peace'. Sooner or later, this war will end in precisely this way. And the quicker the majority of people in Russia realise this, the better the chances that this will happen sooner than the old men in the Kremlin would like.”
Deception of epic proportions
In the run-up to the parliamentary elections in Russia in September, political scientist Abbas Gallyamov comments on Facebook:
“The time has come to remember that the main reason people voted en masse for Putin a quarter of a century ago was precisely the desire for security. The Russians elected Putin because he promised them a peaceful life – without explosions and murders, without houses collapsing and cities going up in flames. Such is the dialectic that has emerged: from promises of security to the complete destruction of that very security. It was a deception of truly epic proportions.”