Putin changed his "victory plan": instead of a front-line breakthrough, it's a war of cities

As early as 2024, Vladimir Putin declared: "Our troops are advancing along the entire line of contact." Moscow hoped to exhaust the Ukrainian army and ultimately win on the battlefield.

However, the Russian offensive did not bring the expected breakthrough, and losses continue to mount. According to estimates by British military personnel, cited by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,

Russia has lost about 1.5 million military personnel killed and wounded. Approximately 500,000 of them may have died.

Therefore, writes the FAZ commentator, Putin is moving to another "victory plan" — the so-called war of cities.

Its goal is to systematically strike across Ukraine to destroy the economy, complicate life for the population, and force Kyiv to sue for peace.

The Rybar Telegram channel, close to the Russian military, describes this calculation even more openly: they want to turn Ukraine into such a problematic and costly asset that it becomes unprofitable for Western allies to support it. At the same time, according to the channel's authors, missiles and drones cost Russia less than maintaining and replenishing a large army on the front.

Kyiv becomes the main target

The Swiss newspaper NZZ draws attention to the increased scale of attacks on the Ukrainian capital. Russian drones have begun to deliberately target Kyiv's bridges across the Dnieper.

After several strikes, the Southern and Northern bridges, as well as the Paton Bridge, were completely blocked. Traffic on the Metro Bridge, used by cars and trains, was restricted.

Damage to these objects could paralyze a significant part of the capital. The Dnieper divides Kyiv into two parts: state institutions, businesses, and a significant portion of workplaces are located on the right bank, while hundreds of thousands of people live on the left bank.

The New York Times warns of a possible "logistical nightmare." There are almost no options to bypass the damaged bridges: the nearest automobile bridge south of Kyiv is approximately 145 kilometers away.

At the same time, Russia is attacking schools, passenger trains, gas stations, border checkpoints, warehouses, data centers, medical storage facilities, and industrial enterprises. One of the drones hit a Kyiv school during lessons. Children and teachers managed to take shelter, so there were no casualties.

Previously, the building of the Academy of Sciences and a maternity hospital were damaged.

"The Russians could not occupy us. That is why they are now carrying out massive attacks and mass killings," stated Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to him, Ukrainian intelligence received information that Putin had ordered no more restrictions: "Now — no rules."

Betting on winter and weak air defense

Moscow's new strategy is becoming more dangerous due to Ukraine's lack of air defense systems. According to NZZ, stockpiles of missiles for American Patriot systems have significantly decreased, and some US resources are now going to the war with Iran.

At the same time, Russia is increasing the production of jet drones. While Ukraine previously intercepted about 90% of aerial targets, in September, this figure dropped to 55-57%.

Moscow, in Konrad Schuller's opinion, is placing a special bet on the coming winter. Strikes against power plants, heating systems, and industrial enterprises are intended to create difficult conditions for millions of people and intensify economic pressure on Kyiv.

At the same time, Russia is preparing not only for a winter campaign but also for a prolonged war. Next year, Moscow plans to increase military spending by approximately 40% compared to the previous plan.

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