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Russia Is Waging “a New Type of Terror” on Ukrainian Society, German Analyst Says
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Russia is escalating a form of terror against Ukrainians that experts say has no precedent in Europe’s recent history.
Speaking to Ukrinform on November 14, Stefan Meister of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) said Russia’s latest wave of strikes marks a shift in the nature of the war.
“I believe we are in a new reality of war. Russia is systematically destroying Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and other infrastructure, and we have never seen this on such a scale. Russia is in a different phase of the war, and this is a completely new type of terror against society and a way to break it, as they believe,” he stated.
Commenting on Russia’s strikes near nuclear facilities, Meister noted that Moscow will continue to manipulate nuclear fears, though he doubts the Kremlin is prepared to attack a nuclear plant directly.
“But nothing can be excluded when it comes to Russia, it has no limits. This is an undeniable fact,” he added.
Meister stressed that Putin has no intention of ending the war. According to him, the Russian leader aims to crush Ukraine, calculating that a Trump presidency in the US and a slow-moving Europe would give him the advantage. Russia’s recent gains on the front lines, he said, only reinforce that belief.
“The fact that Russia is destroying more does not mean that it is changing its approach: Putin seeks a kind of revenge; for him this is personal. And that is why I see no stopping point now,” Meister said.
Europe, he argued, still hopes Trump will act, even though the current US president “does not care about Ukraine at all.” Some states—particularly in Northern Europe—are doing more. Germany plans to increase support next year, but Meister believes Berlin still lacks a medium- and long-term strategy.
“We still have not provided Ukraine with a perspective for a long period, instead we act year by year, step by step. And this is a problem,” he said.
Meister warned that Russia’s expanded weapons production will give it staying power. Ukraine is increasing its own efforts, he noted, but it needs a different level of European involvement—in production, technology, and expertise—to counter Russia’s long-term capacity.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb to discuss ongoing assistance for Ukraine and the aftermath of Russia’s latest strike.
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