Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In public, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he’s not for turning. The purpose of Ukrainian deep strikes is to ‘undermine our confidence in ourselves and our capabilities’, he told state TV last month.
Rejecting proposals to suspend long-range strikes, Putin insisted that Russia remained focused on the ‘complete liberation’ of Donbas and the territories of ‘Novorossiya’ – which include Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
The Spectator's Lisa Haseldine explains why more civilian deaths in Russia could help the Kremlin build a vengeance narrative in the run-up to a mobilisation.
In public, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that he’s not for turning. The purpose of Ukrainian deep strikes is to ‘undermine our confidence in ourselves and our capabilities’, he told state TV last month.
Rejecting proposals to suspend long-range strikes, Putin insisted that Russia remained focused on the ‘complete liberation’ of Donbas and the territories of ‘Novorossiya’ – which include Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
The Spectator's Lisa Haseldine explains why more civilian deaths in Russia could help the Kremlin build a vengeance narrative in the run-up to a mobilisation.
