Andrii Kovalenko, former head of the Center for Countering Disinformation and a lieutenant in the Ukrainian Defense Forces, analyzed the key tactics of the Russian invaders on RBC-Ukraine's podcast "TSE BAZA" and pointed out that the main vector of pressure is directed at the rear regions and, above all, the capital. According to him, in the worldview of Russian commanders, a key task is precisely to "terrorize" Kyiv, making the city a priority target throughout the entire conflict.
Pressure on the rear as an instrument of psychological impact
Kovalenko stressed that threats to comfort, education, and children's safety directly affect parents' morale. Any restrictions in this area can push citizens toward migration, which entails changing living conditions and losing jobs. According to the military expert, such a process can cause deep demoralization among a significant number of citizens, which will directly affect public sentiment—both regarding the state's political course and society's readiness for further resistance.
Energy is not solving the objective: emphasis on living comfort
"Basic energy infrastructure alone cannot achieve this. But things related to the living comfort of people and children can significantly impact moods," Kovalenko stated. Thus, the expert distinguishes between two types of strikes: the destruction of energy infrastructure, which causes economic damage but fails to achieve a psychological effect, and systemic pressure on citizens' daily lives, which works toward long-term demoralization.
The priority of children's safety and the shelter problem in Kyiv
That is why, according to Kovalenko, ensuring comfort and maximum possible safety for children is a priority task for the Ministry of Education, specialized agencies, and local authorities responsible for bomb shelters. He drew special attention to the fact that Kyiv lacks mobile shelters, and schools cannot fully ensure the educational process due to a lack of space in existing shelters. "Something needs to be done about this," the defense forces lieutenant stressed, calling it a critically important condition for keeping people in the city.
Context: the strategy of retaining the population
Kovalenko's statements fit into a broader discourse on how the state and local authorities should adapt protection infrastructure to changing enemy tactics. The expert essentially points to a systemic gap: if the enemy purposefully strikes points related to daily comfort and children's safety, the response must include not only military protection but also civil infrastructure—from mobile shelters to the repurposing of school premises. Without this, in his logic, Russia achieves its goal of gradually exhausting society's resistance resource through everyday pressure.
