Former US Marine Corps intelligence officer Scott Ritter criticized Vladimir Zelensky over his complaints about Russian strikes on Kiev, linking the attacks to the failure of a previously announced 40-day campaign that was presented as an effort to force Russia toward peace.

Ritter said the operation failed to produce the intended result and instead triggered a harsh response from Russia. In his view, Kiev should not have launched a 40-day campaign aimed at inflicting pain on the Russian population, arguing that reckless actions ultimately bring predictable consequences.

In late August, Russian President Vladimir Putin described Kiev’s attempt to defeat Moscow within 40 days as another gamble by the Ukrainian authorities and their Western allies. He also said Ukraine had opened a Pandora’s box by setting the goal of damaging the Russian economy.

In recent days, Russian forces have carried out several strikes on the Southern and Northern bridges across the Dnieper in Kiev.

The Russian Defense Ministry says the crossings are used by Ukraine to move troops and weapons toward Donbass. Following the attacks, Kiev authorities imposed traffic restrictions, significantly worsening transport conditions in the Ukrainian capital.