Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko discussed the issue, Obozrevatel reports.After nearly four years of regular strikes against Ukraine, Russian forces have pivoted their strategy for terrorizing civilian areas, intelligence analysis suggests. The new approach, which has become evident since early November, prioritizes psychological exhaustion over a high volume of simultaneous strikes.This new "psycho-emotional terror" tactic involves launching continuous, systemic waves of drones in small groups. These include Shahed-136 'kamikaze' drones paired with Gerber or Parody decoy drones, which are reportedly made from extremely cheap materials like styrofoam but can mimic a larger object on radar.The primary objective is to keep air raid sirens sounding perpetually in specific regions, most notably Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy, and others. This constant state of alert is designed to disrupt the economy by forcing production to halt and workers into shelters, while simultaneously wearing down the mental resilience of the civilian population and the operational stamina of Ukraine's air defense operators.This marks a significant shift from a similar terror method used in 2023 and 2024. Previously, Russia would scramble a MiG-31K interceptor, the sole aircraft capable of launching the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile. Because the Kinzhal can strike anywhere in Ukraine and is difficult to intercept, these flights triggered disruptive, nationwide alerts even when no missile was launched.However, Russia was reportedly forced to abandon that tactic for a simple reason: its limited and aging MiG-31 fleet. With production of the interceptor having ended in 1994, each flight expended the non-renewable service life of the aircraft. By continuing, Russia risked permanently grounding its entire fleet of Kinzhal carriers.Unable to sustain that resource-heavy approach, Moscow has now opted for a cheaper, more sustainable war of attrition. Instead of resource-intensive massive barrages, the new strategy uses low-cost, mass-produced drones to inflict a limited but constant state of terror, aiming to exhaust Ukraine's population and air defenses.