At least 17 people were killed and 86 injured in large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv, with children among the casualties. The attack, which was described as a ‘night of horror’ by Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, was a response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure that have sparked fuel shortages across Russia. The Russian defence ministry said the attacks targeted military and energy facilities around Kyiv, as well as military airports in several other regions.
However, analysts accuse Russia of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in order to wound morale. Natia Seskuria, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said that the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure was a central element of Russia’s strategy, designed to terrorise the Ukrainian population and erode public morale. The underlying calculation is that a war-weary society subjected to sustained attacks might exert pressure on the government to accept almost any settlement that promises an end to hostilities. However, this strategy has proven ineffective, as Ukrainians have demonstrated remarkable resilience and determination in the face of ongoing aggression.
Keir Giles, a fellow of the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, said that Moscow’s attacks are designed to cause the maximum possible misery and suffering among the civilian population. That’s the principle we saw applied in Syria, in Chechnya and in countless others of Moscow’s wars dating back decades and centuries. Ukraine’s air force said 74 missiles and 496 drones were launched overnight, with 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones hitting 33 locations. The attack comes hours after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia was planning a massive night-time attack and said he was cutting short his visit to Dublin for the start of Ireland’s six-month term in the rotating presidency of the EU.
Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called on Ukraine’s allies to strengthen the country’s air defences following the attack, urging partners not to delay decisions on supplying air defence systems and missiles. The death toll may rise as rescue teams continue their work. Zelensky has recently proposed talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin to end the more than four-year-old war, which the Kremlin leader has rejected.
