By Leonid Nevzlin

"The constant terrorist attacks by Russian forces on Ukrainian cities are part of a strategy known in the Kremlin as "creating a sanitary zone." In reality, this strategy aims to expel Ukrainians from the territories that Putin laid claim to in his "Crimean speech."

Many wonder why cities like Kharkiv and Odessa, where there has always been a high percentage of Russian-speaking Ukrainians, are being targeted so mercilessly. Why bomb Nikopol while erasing cities in the Donetsk region from the face of the earth?

The answer is simple. In the fevered imagination of the Kremlin clique, who have embraced the ideas of the "Russian peace," Kharkovites, Odessites, residents of Nikopol, or Zaporizhzhia are seen as "traitors." They truly did not expect fierce resistance from Ukrainians, especially in these regions. The Chekist-bandit concepts of the current Russian authorities dictate the need to deal with "traitors" as ruthlessly as possible.

The Kremlin wants Ukrainian cities to be emptied. They want their inhabitants to either die or suffer and flee. They want no one in the "sanitary zone" - no soldiers, no civilians, no women, no children. All efforts of Putin's army are directed towards achieving this goal."