Drone attack on Moscow: embarrassment for Putin

The Ukrainian drone attack is causing uncertainty in Moscow. What is important for Kiev, however, are successes at the front in its own country, especially in Crimea. A commentary by Georg Anastasiadis.

Ironically, the Kremlin, which is mercilessly bombing the people of Kiev day and night, is once again stylizing itself as a victim after the early morning drone attack on Moscow, this time of nefarious "terrorist attacks" by the Ukrainian army. The outrage may be fake, but the unrest is real: the more Ukraine succeeds in hitting Russian territory with counterstrikes, the more Putin's myth that everything is going according to plan in the "special operation" of the Russian armed forces falters. The fact that the military superpower commanded by Putin is failing to effectively protect its own capital is likely to trigger the uncertainty in Moscow that Kiev is trying to achieve with such actions, even if the military leadership there officially washes its hands of it. The strategic balance of power has been reversed: Ukraine has matured into a strong military power in 15 months of war. Conversely, Putin's and Medvedev's relentless nuclear threats, which were intended to deter Ukraine's allies from providing further military aid, have fizzled out in Western capitals, especially with the chancellor.

Putin's and Medvedev's relentless nuclear threats have fizzled out in the West

Of course, Ukraine cannot turn the tide of war in its favor with such rather symbolic successes (especially since it is prohibited by its Western partners from using high-precision Western weapons systems against Russian territory for good reasons). In order to force Putin to the negotiating table, the spring offensive would require successes at the front in his own country, especially in Crimea. Zelenskyi still owes this proof of his own strength to his allies.

Georg Anastasiadis