Ex-Polish Defense Minister: Expanding geography of Ukrainian strikes may affect attitudes in Russia

In an interview with Ukrinform, commenting on a possible change in the situation at the front since the start of the use of F-16 aircraft by Ukrainians, former Minister of National Defense of Poland Janusz Onyszkiewicz said.

According to the expert, the start of operation of F-16 aircraft by Ukrainians could lead to "further weakening of the entire Russian military infrastructure."

"This is also a clear signal to Russia that this is not a war that is being waged somewhere far away on the territory of another state, but a war where targets within Russia itself are attacked," Onyszkiewicz said. 

He did not rule out that this could lead to a weakening of militant sentiments in Russian society. 

"Now Russian propaganda is building an atmosphere of total militarism in the country. However, it does not cost the Russians anything, because they do not suffer from the war as Ukrainians. An increase in the number of strikes deep into Russia – against military targets, oil refineries or critical infrastructure – may lead to the Russians' realization that this war is also being waged on their territory," the expert stressed.

He noted that Russia is a large country, and the destruction or damage of several power plants will not lead to a significant crisis in its energy system. However, the continuation and expansion of the geography of Ukrainian strikes on targets inside Russia "should convey to the consciousness of ordinary Russians that the war affects them directly." 

"Instead, the Kremlin must realize that Russia will not win this war. The Kremlin's ridiculous hopes that Ukrainians would be grateful to them "for liberation from the Nazi regime in Ukraine" turned out to be in vain. After all, Russia has always used the following methods: when the Red Army attacked Poland in 1920, they also fought not with the Poles, but with the "Polish nobility who enslaved the Polish people." This is the Russian standard," the former Minister of Defense of the Republic of Poland summed up. 

President Volodymyr Zelensky, while in the United States, said that on July 9, Ukraine received a decision on the allocation of five more Patriot air defense systems, a decision on the F-16 and the signing of two more new security agreements are expected.