Recent Ukrainian drone attacks are spreading panic in Russia, according to European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Speaking with the French news agency AFP in Brussels on Wednesday, Kallas attributed the escalating Russian terror attacks to this panic. “They don’t know how to handle the situation," she said.
On Wednesday morning, Ukrainian drones struck military facilities and energy targets in St Petersburg. The strikes coincided with the opening of a three-day economic forum attended by numerous Russian leaders.
In response, the Kremlin promised “systematic measures” against the attacks.
Ukraine recently intensified strikes on Russian targets in retaliation for continued Russian bombardments. Just the day before the Ukrainian strikes, 23 people were killed in a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine.
Kallas noted the rapid loss of Russian finances and manpower under President Vladimir Putin. She alleged that out of desperation and in an attempt to psychologically break Ukrainians, the Russian military has increasingly targeted civilians.
She also pointed to recent Internet outages in Russia, suggesting they are intended to prevent the Russian population from learning the true state of affairs, which could prompt serious questions about Putin and his regime.
Finally, Kallas criticised Russia’s refusal to negotiate peace seriously, accusing the Kremlin of making only maximalist demands without any concessions.
She called for sustained pressure on Moscow, including through a 21st European sanctions package currently under EU consideration and aimed at hitting Russia’s arms industry, financial institutions, and oil revenues hard.
