Russia launches missile blitz on Ukraine before Victory Day holiday

In preparation for its commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany, the Putin regime has initiated a series of strikes targeting the Ukrainian capital. Missile attacks on Monday morning left at least five people injured, and similar explosions were reported in various other regions.

According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, three individuals were injured in the Solomyanskyi district, while two others suffered injuries in the Sviatoshyn district, both located in the western part of the city.

Additionally, reports indicate that drone wreckage fell on Zhuliany airport’s runway in the southwest, and a two-storey building in the central Shevchkivskyi area was also hit.

In the southern port city of Odessa, officials shared footage revealing a food warehouse engulfed in flames, seemingly a consequence of a Russian attack. Further blasts were reported in the southern Kherson region, the southeast Zaporizhia region, as well as eight locations in the northeastern Sumy region.

In recent weeks, there has been an escalation of strikes against Russian targets in Ukraine, with many focusing on Crimea. Crimea, a southern peninsula in the Black Sea, has been under Russian control since the partial invasion of 2014.

While Ukrainian officials have not confirmed their forces’ involvement in these attacks, they have emphasized the necessity of dismantling crucial enemy infrastructure, particularly in Crimea, as part of their extensive preparations for a forthcoming large-scale counteroffensive.

This morning’s wave of strikes coincides with the Putin regime’s preparations for Victory Day, a military parade scheduled to be held in Moscow tomorrow to commemorate Russia’s triumph over Germany during the Second World War.

The significance of this event is particularly notable this year due to the president’s efforts to equate the leadership in Kyiv with Nazism. Putin uses this narrative as a justification for his self-proclaimed ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine.

The war led by Putin has endured for fifteen months, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and the displacement of millions. Currently, he faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes related to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

Meanwhile, his tight control over dissent and the suppression of freedom of expression within Russia continues to intensify. Recent developments include the sentencing of opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza and the detention of US journalist Evan Gershkovich.