EPAAppearance and reality: there is a constant battle between the two in Moscow.
Despite nearly three years of war, life here can seem so normal: from the crowds of commuters on the subway to the bars and clubs full of young Muscovites.
Then suddenly something happens that reminds you: there is nothing normal in Russia today.
This “something” could be a Ukrainian drone penetrating Moscow’s air defenses.
Or – even more dramatic – what happened on Tuesday morning: the targeted assassination of a high-ranking Russian general as he left an apartment block.
When Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov and his assistant Ilya Polikarpov were there killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooterthe reality of Russia’s war against Ukraine became clear.
At least for the Russians near the crime scene.
“It’s one thing to read about it in the news, it feels far away, but when it happens next door it’s completely different and scary,” Liza tells me. She lives one building away from the site of the explosion.
“Until now it felt like the war was happening far away – now someone is dead, you can feel the consequences here.”
“My anxiety has skyrocketed. Every noise you hear unsettles you – you wonder if it’s a drone or something at a construction site,” says Liza.
This perception of the Russian war in Ukraine as something distant – I’ve heard that here so many times. I feel like for a significant portion of the population, this is a war that they only experience on their television screens or on their smartphones. In many ways a virtual war.
Actually astonishing when you consider the large number of dead and wounded.
But the assassination of a Russian general in Moscow: This is definitely a wake-up call; Proof that this war is very real and very close to home.
Will it be a wake-up call for the Russian authorities?
Probably not. There is little sign of a Kremlin about-face on Ukraine. It is far more likely that Moscow will intensify the war.
Just look at the signs.
Reacting to the news of Kirillov’s assassination, the host of a political talk show on Russian state television blamed Ukraine, claiming that “President Zelensky signed his own death warrant with this attack.”
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said: “Investigators must find the murderers in Russia.” He added: “We must do everything to destroy their patrons in Kiev.”
According to the Russian security service, a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan has now been arrested over the murders.
There has been no public reaction from President Vladimir Putin to the killing of the general and his assistant.
But the Kremlin chief has often said that Russia “will always respond” in the face of security threats.
Because of this promise, retaliation is likely.
On Thursday, the Kremlin chief will hold his annual year-end press conference and telephone conversation. Normally it’s a marathon affair, broadcast live on all major television networks.
I wonder: Will he use the event to comment on the dramatic attack on Kirillov earlier this morning?
Will he break his silence on Syria? The Russian president has not publicly commented on the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, Moscow’s most important ally in the Middle East.
And what will he tell Russians about where their country is headed as the war in Ukraine – what Putin still calls his “special military operation” – approaches the three-year mark?
