Russian ballistic missiles arrived punctually last night to punish the Ukrainian civilian population. Following Donald Trump's attack on Zelenski for not accepting a completely unbalanced peace agreement in favor of Russia, Vladimir Putin felt empowered to launch the deadliest blitz in months against residential areas of Kiev, resulting in at least 10 deaths (six of them children) and over 70 injured. He also launched projectiles against Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Pavlograd.
The Russian leader feels emboldened when he detects appeasing attitudes and launches his worst attacks. We have had two very bloody ones in recent weeks: Dnipro, Sumy, and yesterday in Kiev. "I think we have an agreement with Russia. It will be harder with Zelenski," boasted Trump in the Oval Office. After these words, the deadly bombing followed.
Russia used 17 Iskander ballistic missiles in the attack, 37 X-101 cruise missiles, 12 Kaliber cruise missiles, four Kh-59 cruise missiles, and 145 Shahed drones.
Moscow first launched a swarm of Iranian Shahed drones in the attack. Previously, they would reach the city and launch directly at the target. Now the strategy is different: they fly in circles at high altitudes to gather the group in the sky, and when they are all together, they launch the attack. The goal is to saturate the defenses to make the bombing more lethal. After this, when the defenders and ammunition are depleted, the ballistic missiles arrive. At this point, the criminal "double tap" or double bombing is also common. A missile falls on a civilian target, rescue teams arrive, and then the second missile falls to maximize damage. This is a common practice in the tactics of the Russian leader.
The Trump administration contributes to this for two reasons: first, by not extending the promised delivery of anti-aircraft ammunition by Biden. Second, by not selling a single anti-aircraft missile to Zelenski. We are no longer talking about attack missiles or giving weapons for nothing. Washington is not even satisfied with selling them at the usual cost. The price is the lives of Ukrainian civilians.
Ukraine accurately targets Russian objectives: ammunition depots, oil refineries, military units, and military bases. Just yesterday, Kiev attacked a drone factory in Russia. When Moscow launches its precision missiles, homes, civilian facilities, playgrounds, and hospitals are often the usual targets.
The attack, which began around one in the morning, hit at least five neighborhoods in the Ukrainian capital. Russia launched 215 drones and missiles in the nighttime attack on Ukraine, said the Ukrainian Air Force.