Matveev added that Zelenskyy’s air campaign has exposed how the Russian military can’t fully protect the country.
That was underscored in May when the Kremlin reluctantly pared back the Victory Day jamboree celebrating the Red Army’s defeat of Nazi Germany.
Shortly after, in June, Ukraine repeatedly struck Russian oil refineries and fuel infrastructure, including around Moscow. In July, Ukrainian drones reached the Omsk refinery in Siberia, Russia’s largest, about 2,700 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory, reportedly using an upgraded drone.
By then, Ukrainian strikes had hit many of Russia’s major refineries, oil terminals and fuel-storage facilities. At the same time, Ukraine launched an operation against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Black and Azov seas, targeting more than 200 vessels, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Russian media has reported on the impact of the strikes at Wildberries and Ozon warehouses on small businesses, with sellers of clothing and electronics lamenting that they’ve lost years of work, even their livelihoods. Pro-war military bloggers have not held back on their criticism, faulting the Russian armed forces for ineffectiveness.
But are these complaints enough to alarm Putin and prompt him to stop the war?