Ukraine is playing a risky but extremely calculated card on the chessboard of war with the Russian Federation. Behind the war rhetoric and official statements, Kiev is applying a “fake it until you make it” strategy, designed not only to keep the morale of the Ukrainian population high, but also to send direct messages to two key players on the global stage: Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
The mystical and military signal of the 40 days
At the end of June, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski announced the launch of an influence and pressure operation spanning 40 days. Beyond the military component, analysts from The Economist have deciphered a profound symbolic subtext, deeply rooted in Slavic traditions: 40 days represent the transition period in which the soul leaves the earthly world. In geopolitical terms, this is a grim warning sent directly to the leader in the Kremlin.
Zelenski’s message is not just simple propaganda. Throughout this summer, the campaign of strikes behind the front has become the guiding line of the Ukrainian strategy. The constant bombings on Russian refineries have forced Moscow to ration gasoline and systematic attacks on bridges, railways, and ferries to strangle the supply lines of the Russian army from the peninsula.
Blinding of the anti-aircraft defense
In the last three months, Ukrainian forces have decommissioned 70 Russian air defense systems, a loss difficult to replace in the short term.
The plan, conceived since the beginning of 2025, has only now entered the operational phase, after Kiev managed to fine-tune its special units and accelerate long-term drone production.
The real stake
Sources from the presidential entourage in Kiev, quoted by the British publication, admit that this “political theater” has a pragmatic purpose – creating a favorable moment for negotiations, most likely in August, when Putin will have to decide the strategy for the autumn-winter campaign.
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