Kremenchuk…

The shopping center was hit by an X-22 anti-ship missile. There are many things significant about this.

The Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian forces have begun using anti-ship missiles to strike land targets. This may be due to the lack of conventional missiles.

After the missile attack, the Amstor shopping center burned down completely. According to the latest data (which will probably be updated), 10 people were killed and 40 injured.

The Federation might be running out of some systems. We are back into the era of industrial warfare, and these missiles require the kind of technology Russia cannot easily substitute. Yes, sanctions are playing a role.

The Russian reaction is quite telling as well.

There are many inconsistencies in the situation (‼️) with the shopping center in Kremenchug, it looks like a provocation in Bucha, said the First Deputy Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN Polyansky, officially repeating the Z-channels manual.

On the footage — the analysis of the rubble after the situation. It is known about at least 13 dead and dozens of injured.

Russia is back to the same game that it played after the mass killings in Bucha emerged. It’s a provocation, it was not us. Look, it’s obviously the Ukrainians. Why would Ukraine bomb itself is a good question. However, the Putin regime has a history, so there is that. So charging others for what you are willing to do is par for the course, I suppose.

Now let’s be clear. Russia has been targeting civilians from day one. Why? They are trying to break the morale of civilians.

If anything it is hardening the resolve of Ukrainians.

There is a parallel. This is strategic bombing, the way it was used by the Luftwaffe in London, and the Allies over Germany and Japan in World War Two. It did not work. Civilian populations were not cowed.

Realize, Russia continues to create alternate facts on the ground, because targeting civilians is a war crime. They know that should they lose, they face a war crimes tribunal. They also know they need to create plausible deniability for internal consumption.