An attack on Kyiv while Friedrich Merz, the leader of Europe’s largest economic power, or ambassadors from allied nations are there is not a random incident, nor is it merely part of a military campaign. It is a demonstrative and brazen act of intimidation through which the Kremlin is attempting to dictate its terms to the entire civilized world. Read more in this exclusive column for Channel 24.
The Kremlin’s main goal: to intimidate foreign diplomats
Why would Putin unleash this hell in the capital specifically during international visits? The first and most obvious goal is psychological terror against the Western world. In Moscow, they sincerely believe that a barrage of missiles raining down on the heads of foreign ambassadors will force Western diplomatic missions to flee Kyiv in panic. The dictator seeks to create an atmosphere of fear so that European politicians feel defenseless and, under this pressure, begin to pressure Ukraine into making concessions and capitulating on the Kremlin’s terms.
This is a classic tactic of a terrorist regime: to demonstrate that, as far as Russia is concerned, there are no diplomatic immunities, red lines, or norms of international law. By striking civilian targets, medical centers, medicine warehouses, and kindergartens, the Russian Ministry of Defense cynically labels these actions as “retaliatory strikes” against Ukrainian attacks on enemy oil refineries. They seek to distort reality and portray the aggressor as the victim.
Attempts to paralyze Kyiv and Ukraine’s economy
The second key objective of Putin’s attacks is to bring about the logistical and economic collapse of the Ukrainian capital. Targeted strikes on bridges across the Dnipro River – particularly on critically important freight routes such as the South Bridge – are aimed at severing transportation links, halting the flow of goods, and paralyzing daily life in the metropolis.
Since 2022, Russian occupiers have sought to cut off all bridge crossings along the Dnipro River in order to isolate regions and create chaos. By posing a constant threat to bridges and energy infrastructure, the enemy seeks to deal a devastating blow to the civilian sector of the economy, disrupt supply chains, and erode the resilience of our society.
Why Putin’s missile blackmail turned out to be a total flop
However, this Kremlin tactic of terror has once again failed spectacularly. Putin has fatally miscalculated once more, underestimating the resolve of both Ukrainians and our partners. Naive hopes of intimidating foreign representatives were shattered by the firm stance of Western diplomats. The clear statement by EU Ambassador Katarína Mathernová – “We are all here, we are staying in Kyiv, Putin cannot intimidate us” – was a powerful slap in the face for the Kremlin.
Western leaders and diplomats are witnessing this hostile cynicism firsthand. When a German politician is taken out into the open during an air raid alert and nervously scans the Kyiv sky, this should not be a cause for fear, but a direct call to action. This is the perfect backdrop to finally ask: Where are the long-awaited Taurus missiles, and why are there still restrictions on striking military targets on Russian territory?
The Resilience of the Capital and the Inevitable Ukrainian Response
Moreover, Ukraine’s infrastructure itself has proven to be far more resilient than Russian generals believe. Our bridges across the Dnipro were built to strict Soviet GOST standards, designed to withstand extreme loads, and enemy drones or isolated strikes are not capable of easily putting them out of commission. But most importantly, Ukraine is no longer playing purely on the defensive.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aptly noted: “Do they really think they can get away with everything and that we won’t respond? We certainly will.” And we are already responding with full force. Our "Crimean Circuit Breaker Off" operation continues: occupied Crimea is plunging into a blackout, and the enemy is forced to erect multi-layered lines of defense around the illegal Crimean Bridge in an attempt to protect itself from Ukrainian boats.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces are systematically hunting down “Iskander” launchers, destroying enemy aircraft right at airfields in Russia (as was the case during the successful strike against Su-34 and Su-35 fighters in Adygea) and systematically taking out Russian oil refineries.
Actions Instead of Empty Words: What Ukraine Really Needs
The presence of foreign diplomats in Kyiv during the shelling is an important and noble gesture, but mere rhetoric is not enough. We need practical, measurable assistance, not endless lectures or the imposition of absurd conditions on Ukraine’s exhausted economy.
Instead of demanding tax hikes or endlessly searching for the “shadow economy,” European partners must double their financial and military support for Ukraine. We need concrete funding to scale up our own production of weapons, long-range missiles, and strike UAVs. When our drones strike Russian oil refineries, Kapotnya, or energy hubs in Novy Urengoy – it creates the very image that the global media is forced to show, debunking Russian disinformation.
Conclusion: The Russian economy is sinking; the aggressor is losing
Despite all of Medvedev’s hysterical statements threatening “space wars” and the destruction of Starlink satellites, the reality for Russia is bleak. The enemy’s economy is sustained solely by its accumulated resources, but it is irreversibly sinking. If Ukraine methodically targets Russia’s oil refineries, energy grid, and gas infrastructure, Russia’s civilian sector and military-industrial complex will simply grind to a halt.
Putin’s blackmail won’t work. Kyiv will hold out, the bridges will hold, and Western diplomats aren’t going anywhere. The only result the Russian dictator has achieved with his barbaric strikes on the Ukrainian capital is the world’s final realization that there is nothing to negotiate with a terrorist. He can only be defeated by force and stripped of the economic capacity to wage war.