Podcast "Ukraine - the situation" - Wait until the temperatures drop further: Russia wants to wear down Ukraine in winter, Mölling warns
Security expert Christian Mölling expects a new wave of terrorist attacks against the Ukrainian civilian population. "It can be assumed that we are not yet at the peak of the attacks," he said on Friday in the stern podcast"Ukraine - the situation". "At the moment, the Russians seem to want to spy on where the air defense is stationed." The Research Director of the German Council on Foreign Relations saw this approach as preparation for even more intensive attacks. He expects these as soon as temperatures drop further.
Mölling said: "If you shoot up the heating now, it won't have the terrorist effect you actually want to achieve." According to his assessment, the Russian commanders want to seize the moment when the greatest effect can be achieved. In recent weeks, Russia has apparently held back cruise missiles in order to "fly this wave of attacks" at a later date. The ultimate aim was to wear down the population by destroying energy and heat supplies. Mölling assumed that Russia's attacks could be more effective than in the previous year. "Last winter, the infrastructure was a bit better positioned," he said.
Russia will not let up until goals are achieved
He did not see any prospect of a rapid cessation of fighting. The Russian side had made it very clear that it currently saw no reason to enter into negotiations or slow down the war. He accused the Russian leadership of not caring whether its own soldiers suffer and die. The standards of humanity had lost all meaning. President Vladimir Putin was concerned with creating a new world order.
Moscow's leadership is sending a clear message that it is not prepared to accept a solution that does not give it the territories it claims - and only partially controls. For Ukraine, this means that, despite its exhaustion and the adverse weather conditions, it only has one choice: "Give up or keep fighting." Surrender, however, means that not only territory has to be given up, but also the people living there. "Who wants to take responsibility for that?" asked the expert.
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Source: www.stern.de
