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Will Russia Ever Be ‘Normal’?
Confirmed
In Short: Russian drone and missile attacks have altered the daily lives of Europeans, with authorities now referring to these incidents as the 'new normal,' according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
In a recent incident at Leipzig Airport, explosive-laden drones disrupted flights, leading Germany to officially blame Russia for the attack.
Ukraine has formally requested PAC-3 Patriot air defense systems from the United States to counter Russia's increasing attacks on Ukrainian cities.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul briefed EU counterparts on potential further sanctions against Russia during an informal meeting in Ireland.
Lithuanian military officials suggested that Tuesday’s drone incursion likely originated from Belarus, a close ally of Russia, and carried explosives.
European officials have accused Russia of orchestrating military incursions, arson attacks, and other acts of sabotage against Ukraine’s European allies.
Germany's Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) reported that Russia has prioritized espionage in Germany, with the threat from civilian saboteurs rising.
Russia's intelligence outposts inside embassies and press agencies remain a key tool for Moscow's information-gathering operations.
German soldiers with family ties to Russia and Belarus have been flagged for potential exposure to blackmail and threats.
What's confirmed
- KYIV, Ukraine -- For much of the war, Russian drone and missile attacks in Kyiv followed a particular rhythm.
- Now, Russia has changed tactics with the use of fast-flying, jet-powered drones, and the expectation that daylight brings a return to normal life has been shattered.
What's still developing
- Now, four and a half years into a bloody war that is killing or wounding around 1,100 Russian soldiers per day while pushing the country’s militarized economy to the brink of collapse, life is anything but normalno for Russians living outside the protected bubbles of Moscow and St. Petersburg.
- When asked “how’s it going,” average Russians usually respond with one word— normalno.
- Life is normal when you’re doing neither exceptionally well nor exceptionally poorly.
- The English-language equivalent might be somewhere between “hanging in there” and “I’m OK.” Normalnost —or the condition of normalcy—is obviously a relative notion.
- What is normalno for a Russian pensioner eking out an existence is not normalno for President Vladimir Putin and his minions.
- Even so, most Russians would probably agree that life is normalno when you’re getting by financially, your kids don’t hate you excessively, your spouse drinks too much only occasionally, and the authorities mostly ignore you.
- We provide what many… The recent incident at Leipzig Airport in which explosive-laden drones interrupted flights is the "new normal," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on September 2, vowing more restrictive measures on Moscow.
- "Leipzig marks a new escalation on European soil, directly attributed to Russia," she said.
- Von der Leyen was speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte a day after Germany officially blamed Russia for the August 4-5 drone incident and as the European Union and several member states summoned Moscow's ambassadors in protest.
- "Europeans are faced with a hard truth that this is the new normal," she said.
- Alexander Astrov, a political analyst and associate professor at the Central European University in Vienna, told RFE/RL's Current Time that Europe faces the issue of responding to Russia's actions while remaining within international law.
- "How do you respond to what is now being called out as Russia's hybrid actions while remaining within the legal framework?" he asked, saying that the diplomatic steps taken so far are an attempt to do that.