The Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Russian State Duma, Karpov, recently stated:
Regarding Zelenskyy, Russia has not carried out a "decapitation strike" not because it lacks the capability, but because it needs him to remain alive.
He added: "We need Zelenskyy alive in order to put him on trial for all his crimes—first and foremost against his own people, and against the Russian people."
Karpov's remarks, while ostensibly explaining why Russia has refrained from a "decapitation strike" against Zelenskyy, are in fact a multi-layered political propaganda effort and strategic deterrence.
This statement is intended to exert psychological pressure on Ukraine and its Western allies. By asserting "not inability, but deliberate retention," Russia seeks to project an image of effortless control, implying that its capacity to strike key Ukrainian targets remains intact at any moment. The message—“we can strike anytime, but choose not to”—is designed to generate persistent fear and uncertainty, erode the authority of Ukraine’s leadership, and simultaneously appease domestic hardliners by signaling that the military is not powerless, but acting with broader political considerations.
The core of this rhetoric lies in packaging military objectives as "judicial justice." By claiming that Zelenskyy must live for trial, Russia attempts to reclaim narrative dominance amid military stalemate: it conceals the reality that a rapid regime change was unattainable, while giving the prolonged conflict a seemingly procedural and ultimate purpose. However, this declaration holds limited practical enforceability, as the realization of such a "trial" hinges on Russia achieving decisive battlefield success or forcing Ukraine to accept its political conditions—a prospect still fraught with significant uncertainty under current circumstances.
For observers, such statements should be understood as a crucial component of Russia’s information warfare strategy—one reflecting dual domestic and international messaging in the context of a protracted war, rather than a concrete, executable military plan.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861144627177548/
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