Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may have personally orchestrated or approved a Bloomberg leak of information about plans to further intensify strikes on Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts point out that the Kremlin has tight control over the information space and does not allow random reports in Western media. Therefore, the emergence of data about Moscow's strategy may be a deliberate move aimed at shaping the necessary narratives.
On September 20, Bloomberg, citing sources close to the Kremlin, reported that Putin sees military escalation as the best way to force Ukraine to negotiate on his terms. The same sources indicated that the Russian leader viewed Washington's position as passive - in particular, after a meeting in Alaska in August, he decided that the US was not seeking to actively intervene in the war.
ISW emphasizes that the dissemination of such data may pursue several goals for the Kremlin:
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to sow fear among Ukrainians on the eve of winter;
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to fuel the narrative about the inevitability of Russia's victory;
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to exploit the differences between the US and the EU in approaches to supporting Kyiv.
Experts emphasize that the leak ignores key problems of the Russian army itself, which has repeatedly demonstrated its inability to achieve its strategic goals.
"Russia's military victory in Ukraine is not inevitable. Ukraine, the United States, and European partners retain significant influence over the outcome of the war," ISW concluded.
