Russian terror tactics aimed at destabilizing Ukraine, says political strategist

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

“The possibility of a wave of terror is undeniable because Russia always tries to resort to such tactics. Regarding the attack on Serhii Sternenko on May 1, we can see that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) did a great job in preventing the assassination of the activist. 

The absence of large-scale terrorist attacks in Ukraine over the years of war indicates that counterintelligence is working, despite Russia’s efforts to destabilize our country from within. Do they have hit lists? Of course, they do. They want to use terror to spread fear because they’re not succeeding on the battlefield. In this case, they’ll try to instill fear and distrust in the government. Imagine if one day, 10 prominent individuals were shot—if Russia managed to do that, which I doubt, they would use it to demonstrate their strength and ability to act as they please,” the political strategist commented.

According to him, Russia has the capacity to change its tactics. One example is how they manipulate teenagers: inciting them to set fires, plant bombs, or attack soldiers. By provoking such actions, the enemy exploits psychological traits of youth—like the desire for self-expression or recognition.

“However, what defines a system is not the mistake itself, but the reaction to the mistake. You can’t monitor everyone—that’s a problem of prevention and punishment. One person got 15 years for targeting strikes, another was sentenced to life. Now, it’s clear to everyone that this is not a game. This applies to those who brought explosives to military recruitment offices or other institutions. The authorities have shown what happens next—this is serious. If you want to take that risk, go ahead. But we’re seeing these waves decline. There was a wave of bombings at recruitment centers, and then the SBU released a clear message—the number of people willing to ‘play’ these games dropped,” Zahorodnii noted.

• On May 1, activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko announced he had been attacked and injured. The Security Service has already detained the attacker. Ukrainska Pravda media found that the suspect received money from Russian intelligence services.

• On May 2, the woman detained the previous day for the attack on Sternenko was officially charged with treason and attempted murder.