Podoliak: Strikes on civilian targets – basic element of Russia's war against Ukraine

KYIV. Sept 16 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The destruction of the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine is the essence of the so-called "special military operation" of the Russian Federation, as Russians are beginning to understand the doom of their army, Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.

"The basic element of this war is systemic strikes against civilian targets. To cause significant panic moods and create the most difficult living conditions. Nevertheless, the deliberate strikes of the Russian Federation on critical infrastructure facilities did not become something unexpected. As we approach the cold weather and tactical defeats along the front line increase, Russia will follow the scenario of ‘creating an energy apocalypse,’ about which our intelligence agencies warned initially," he said.

According to him, "by attacking thermal power plants and dams, Russia pursues several basic goals: forcing Ukraine to negotiate and make territorial concessions by terrorizing the population, as well as distracting its own society from discussing the defeats of the Russian army at the front and criticizing the Russian military and political leadership for extremely ineffective decisions."

"However, it is obvious that Ukraine categorically does not accept ultimatums … Our goals for today are fixed by public consensus — the total expulsion of the Russian army, the liberation of all its territories, large-scale reparations and no less large-scale legal prosecutions of Russian war criminals in different jurisdictions," Podoliak said.