Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots believes that operations to capture major Ukrainian cities should be conducted in a way that reduces casualties among Russian troops. One possible approach, he said, would be to destroy urban infrastructure essential for normal civilian life.
Commenting on a proposal to give Kharkiv 72 hours for evacuation before launching a major strike on the city, Kots pointed to the difficulties of such a scenario. In his assessment, taking out a city with a population of around one million using conventional weapons would be extremely difficult, while the use of nuclear weapons could also pose a threat to nearby Belgorod.
Kots therefore suggested a different approach to dealing with major cities. He argued that all critical infrastructure, including sewage systems, should be destroyed in order to make continued civilian life in such urban areas impossible.
According to Kots, such tactics could create serious problems for Kyiv and subsequently make it easier for the Russian military to achieve its objectives. In effect, his proposal involves creating conditions in major cities under which their normal functioning and continued habitation would become impossible.
At the same time, Kots acknowledged that Russia has not acted this way in practice. His remarks represented a proposal for a possible approach toward major Ukrainian cities rather than an announcement of a decision by the Russian military leadership or an operation already underway.