Mykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the presidential office, has said that Russian propagandists like Zakhar Prilepin are not a target for Ukraine because they do not affect the course of the war. He called the attempt to eliminate Prilepin part of the Russian special services' programme to "escalate fear" within Russia.
"Everything that concerns such symbolic acts, let's call them that, whether drones over the Kremlin or some strange incidents (Prilepin's explosion - ed.), which involve people who have no influence on the course of events on the front line - I mean, who are actively needed to moderate information on the domestic Russian market, I mean, these propagandists are specific… So this is, it seems to me, such a large escalation programme aimed at the Russian domestic audience, which is being taken care of by the Russian special services, at least," Podolyak said.
In his opinion, the Kremlin is gradually losing control over the power vertical and what is happening in Russia. And, in his opinion, the Russian authorities can increase this control "by escalating fear". In this way, Moscow wants to mobilise the population to continue the war, Podolyak explained, and to "influence" the elites to keep them from planning to get rid of Vladimir Putin.
Earlier today, a car carrying Prilepin was blown up in Nizhny Novgorod Region. He was injured but survived. The driver, an occupier from the Oplot battalion of the Russian Guard, Vadim Rebryna, was killed in the explosion.
The Security Service of Ukraine said that it would be possible to talk about who was behind the attempt after the victory over Russia.