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As many people express their outrage about #Russia attacks on civilian areas of towns and describe them in terms of “irrational cruelty”, I’m afraid it is very much rational within the framework of Russia’s strategic goal. Which, after many iterations, now boils down to not losing the war.

It’s mostly us, the Western society, who notoriously don’t get it and still assume Putin’s Russia is after some kind of “deal” here. If he was, then yes, it would be irrational. But he isn’t.

Most interestingly, Russian propagandists voice this quite openly. It’s just that we are in some kind of denial, just as when Bolsheviks were talking about “eradication of bourgeoisie as a class” the West imagined they’re using the word “eradication” somehow “figuratively”.

The purpose of these attacks is to sow the sense of insecurity, depression and terror among Ukrainian society so that it stops resisting and just gives up, agreeing to whatever terms Russia is ready to offer now.

Unfortunately, these attacks will only intensify before and during the winter as Russian leadership apparently started to grasp that they may not be able to afford yet another year of war and Ukraine’s fall in military terms is not at all imminent, as they lulled themselves for the last two years.

Putin’s increasing cruelty is likely a direct consequence of his own increasing insecurity, based on the processes visible publicly (Russia’s economic decline, Kursk offensive) and those which we don’t see (secret public opinion polls).

So today’s attack on Lviv was entirely planned to hit civilian quarters, just as the “Okhmatdit” hospital attack. Emotional reactions are natural, but they’re not going to change anything - there will be more.

If you can, the best thing to do is to donate to the #Ukraine army or humanitarian funds, because they are what actually do change situation on the ground. One Russian strategic bomber destroyed in Russia one less delivery vehicle for the rockets such as those that hit Lviv houses or hospital in Kyiv.