Preparations for an offensive on Sumy: Portnikov names three goals of Russian terror

Preparations for an offensive on Sumy: Portnikov names three goals of Russian terror

The missile strike on Sumy may indicate Putin's intention to occupy another part of Ukrainian territory or create a new “buffer zone.”

The terrorist attack against civilians, carried out by the Russian army with a missile strike on Sumy, aligns with the Kremlin’s plans and the aggressor-state president Vladimir Putin’s perception of reality.

Ukrainian journalist Vitaliy Portnikov outlined three goals pursued by the Kremlin regime through this terror.

“One important goal of such attacks is to intimidate the civilian population of Ukraine. To remind Ukrainians that only capitulation can stop missile strikes on their land. That no army can protect them — because while the army may hold back Russian troops and prevent them from occupying new Ukrainian lands, no one can stop missile strikes,” he noted.

According to the journalist, the Kremlin is trying to demonstrate that such missile attacks will continue until Kyiv gives up Ukrainian statehood and agrees to join Russia.

“The second goal is to destabilize sentiment within Ukrainian society itself. So that those, who understand the need for resistance, clash with those who say: "It doesn’t matter what flag flies over my house, as long as the missile strikes stop,” Portnikov believes.

According to him, the president of the Russian Federation sees Ukrainians as a disloyal population that must be driven from their native land to make room for a loyal population — for Russians.

Preparations for an offensive on Sumy?

In the journalist’s opinion, Putin may also have a military goal — to attempt to occupy another part of Ukrainian territory where fake referendums could be held.

“Sumy region is one of the obvious candidates for the Kremlin to create such a fiction. Therefore, the bombing of Sumy may be preparation for such a Russian offensive,” Portnikov stated.

At the same time, he notes that if the Kremlin realizes that such an offensive is unlikely to succeed in terms of occupation, the Russians may use it to create a “buffer zone” to ease the task for those discussing options for dividing Ukrainian territory into different zones of control by different armies.

“This too may be one of Putin’s goals, which he, by the way, will cold-bloodedly present to American negotiators,” Vitaliy Portnikov concluded.