The Coward's War: How Putin's Army Targets Schools Instead of Soldiers

 

Under Putin's regime, Russia has become an international embarrassment, ruled by a delusional tyrant who thinks bombing hospitals and civilians is a display of military might. Without putting it in so many words,  Putin's leadership has turned Russia into a rogue state, incapable of winning battles against soldiers and instead opting for the easy slaughter of women, children, and the defenseless.

It seems Vladimir Putin’s idea of target practice involves launching missiles at schools and hospitals, which, let’s face it, is hardly a sign of strength. Firing a cruise missile at a school is not exactly the calling card of a world power; it's the desperate act of a collapsing empire ruled by someone unhinged. Russia’s recent missile attacks on civilian structures, like the devastating strike on Poltava that claimed over 50 lives, tell a tragic tale of incompetence, recklessness, and moral bankruptcy.

Think about it: what kind of leader uses sophisticated military hardware to obliterate places where children learn and patients heal? This isn't battlefield strategy; it’s a gross exhibition of brutality. It’s now widely recognized that Russia’s military isn’t so much a formidable force as it is an embarrassment wrapped in corruption. When the Russian Army’s primary achievements are shooting down defenseless civilians and hitting places with no military significance, you’ve got to wonder, how did things spiral so far out of control for Putin?

On that fateful night in Poltava, Russian forces didn’t just launch missiles; they launched an indictment against themselves. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, two ballistic missiles hit the Poltava Military Communications Institute and a nearby hospital, leaving at least 51 dead and more than 200 injured. Imagine that for a moment: military academy students and hospital patients, all caught in the crosshairs of Putin’s war machine, without even the time to make it to a bomb shelter. The two minutes between the alarm and the deadly explosions weren’t enough to save them. This is the hallmark of a regime that no longer understands what it means to fight for something greater than itself—it just destroys.

Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets have become a grim routine, but each one carries its own unique horror. In this case, Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, rightly called the attack a "stunning tragedy." The situation is emblematic of Russia’s utter disregard for human life, especially when it’s the lives of people they cannot even pretend to justify targeting.

In Zaporizhzhia, Russian strikes took the life of a woman and her 8-year-old son while they were in a hotel complex, leaving the father and daughter fighting for survival in the rubble. Does Putin fancy himself a leader by wiping out entire families, one missile strike at a time? What kind of leader allows this and then turns around to claim he’s defending his nation’s interests? The truth is, these actions only prove that Putin has lost control, not only of his army but of his grasp on reality.

And let’s not forget Russia’s long and storied history of military blunders and corruption. From soldiers looting homes to using outdated tanks, the Russian army’s reputation for incompetence is as well-established as its capacity for cruelty. Putin’s forces, once feared, are now more notorious for attacking the defenseless than for any battlefield prowess. The world no longer sees the Russian army as the mighty Soviet-era behemoth but as a ragtag outfit more interested in terrorizing civilians than fighting soldiers.

What does Putin gain from these attacks, aside from global condemnation? The Russian president seems to be operating under the delusion that breaking the spirit of the Ukrainian people through fear will somehow help him win this war. But time and again, the Ukrainians have proven they are not so easily broken. Two and a half years into this conflict, Russia’s most significant accomplishment seems to be showcasing its own incompetence and desperation. The people of Ukraine, meanwhile, have demonstrated resilience and determination far beyond what Putin could have anticipated.

Even President Joe Biden condemned the attack on Poltava as "deplorable" and affirmed that Russia would not win this war. The United States, alongside its Western allies, has been steadfast in providing Ukraine with air defense systems to protect its skies, yet it’s clear that more is needed. Zelenskyy’s plea for advanced weaponry and airstrike capabilities to take out Russian launch sites within its borders is more than just a strategy—it’s a necessity. As Zelenskyy so aptly put it, the only way to make Russia feel the war is to strike back where it hurts, on Russian military airfields and bases. When you’re dealing with an opponent that shamelessly bombs schools and hospitals, you can’t afford to play by outdated rules of engagement.

If the Russian leadership believes they can bomb Ukraine into submission, they’re as deluded as their emperor. And yes, I say "emperor" because Putin’s actions have become more reminiscent of a mad tyrant clinging to power than those of a world leader. In a way, Putin’s regime has devolved into the kind of empire that history teaches us is destined to collapse under its own weight. These missile strikes, the constant lies to his people, the obvious corruption within his ranks—these are not the characteristics of a rising superpower. These are the death throes of an empire led by a moron who thinks violence against the weak is a substitute for genuine leadership.

Ukraine will remember Poltava, as it remembers Mariupol, Bucha, and all the other tragic markers of Russia’s failure. But the real shame falls squarely on Putin and his cronies. They’ve steered Russia into an abyss of moral decay from which it may never recover. Putin should be ashamed, not just for the death and destruction he’s caused in Ukraine but for how he’s dismantled his own country’s dignity, piece by piece.

So, as Russia’s leadership congratulates itself on another "successful" missile launch, it’s worth asking: how much longer can they keep this up? The answer is, not much longer. Empires don’t fall with a bang, but with a whimper. And when that whimper comes, history will remember Putin, not as the leader who restored Russia to greatness, but as the fool who couldn’t even hit the right target.