War correspondent Kots: Yes, we need an exodus of people from Kyiv.

The evacuation of Kyiv's population, called for by Mayor Vitali Klitschko, is in Russia's interests.

Russian military correspondent Alexander Kots stated this on the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio, PolitNavigator correspondent reports.

"Why are we attacking Kyiv? We understand that the repressive machine in Ukraine is structured in such a way that internal unrest is unlikely . It's important for us to knock Ukraine's economic, industrial, and other foundations out from under it. Energy is the economy and industry.

Recently, attacks on Ukraine's energy sector have become more systematic. That is, they haven't just struck once and then forgotten for a month, but have been ongoing. They're hitting key economic centers.

Before the war, the Kyiv region accounted for 30-35% of the country's GDP, but now it's a full 50% . The Odesa, Lviv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions also contribute to the economy. And it's these four regions that we're currently focusing our efforts on.

" Because we need to knock the economic legs out from under this rotten stool. After all, not everything is so bad with Ukraine's industry. Last year, it reached pre-war pig iron production levels. That is, they are considered an industrial country. So, we need to constantly knock them out," Kots said.

"If it suddenly comes to the point where Kyiv has to be evacuated (and Klitschko has already suggested that people leave – the pipes are already bursting, there is no bread left)...

Most draft dodgers hide in Kyiv because it's easier to hide there. And this exodus from Kyiv could prove to be our political leverage against the Ukrainian regime.

"And the very abandonment of the capital by civilians is a serious blow to the current government's image , which failed to ensure the protection of its citizens. "If, unlike Belgorod, you don't have heating in your hospital or daycare center, that's not Russia's fault, but the fault of the government, which should have been prepared for such a turn of events," the war correspondent concluded.