KYIV — Following the devastating Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which resulted in the deaths of 35 individuals and injured 117 others, U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the attack as a “mistake”. However, experts assert that this assault is part of a deliberate military strategy by Russia.
Understanding Russia’s tactics
The recent attack on Sumy mirrors earlier strikes, including one on April 4 in Kryvyi Rih, where a Russian missile filled with cluster munitions killed 20 and injured 80. These operations are not random acts of aggression but calculated attempts to instill fear among the civilian population, hoping to incite discontent against the Ukrainian military and government, ultimately compelling them to negotiate peace terms favorable to Moscow.
“Russia wages total war against Ukraine,” said Mykola Bielieskov, a military analyst and research fellow at the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies.
Bielieskov elaborated, stating, “The goal of such total war is to force civilians to create pressure on the Ukrainian authorities to negotiate settlement on Russia’s terms. So far, Russians failed, but they believe there’s a tipping point beyond which civilians will begin to direct their hatred not at the Russian Federation, but at our government.”
Impact on Ukrainian society
As the conflict approaches its fourth year, the impact of these assaults is evident within Ukrainian society. The aftermath of the Sumy attack prompted opposition MP Mariana Bezuhla to accuse the Ukrainian military of endangering civilians by conducting an award ceremony for soldiers despite knowledge of an impending Russian strike. Fortunately, the soldiers remained unscathed as they were sheltered at the time.
Similarly, Artem Semenikhin, the mayor of Konotop in the Sumy region, criticized the local governor for scheduling a military event, suggesting that such actions serve to legitimize Russia’s