Russia has accused Ukraine of launching a series of drone attacks, resulting in minor injuries to five people and temporary closures of airports in Moscow. This comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised a military response to a Russian missile strike that killed seven people. Ukraine’s military has not yet commented on the reported drone attacks in Russia, but Zelensky has hinted that they may be part of his government’s strategy. Evidence suggests that Ukraine has been increasingly using drones, including long-range models.
These recent drone attacks have targeted military and infrastructure sites, adding a new dimension to the counteroffensive launched by Ukraine in June. The attacks also seem to be aimed at inflicting some of the suffering caused by Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians back onto Russia itself. According to United Nations data, nearly 9,500 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, far surpassing Russian civilian casualties.
One of the reported drone attacks occurred in the Russian city of Kursk, where a Ukrainian drone struck the roof of the train station. Three people were initially hospitalized but have since been discharged, while two others sustained minor injuries and declined treatment. Another drone attack was reportedly thwarted by Russian forces in the Rostov region, which borders eastern Ukraine. In response to attempted drone attacks, Russia briefly halted flights to Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports.
A report by Britain’s defense intelligence agency suggests that Russia’s Aerospace Forces are under pressure to improve air defenses over western Russia due to the increasing range of threats penetrating the country. However, there is no explicit link between these drone attacks and Zelensky’s comments following the Russian attack on the city of Chernihiv, where a 6-year-old child and six others were killed, and 144 people, including 15 children, were wounded. Zelensky vowed to respond to the attack and called it a terrorist act.
The missiles struck the Taras Shevchenko Theater in Chernihiv, which was hosting a meeting of business people at the time.
2023-08-20 07:14:03
Link from www.nytimes.com