The Ukrainian capital of Kiev had not been targeted by airstrikes since February, but that changed when overnight and in the early morning hours Russian ballistic and cruise missiles rocked the city, reportedly wounding at least 13 people and causing damage to multiple buildings.
Ukraine officials said air defenses intercepted "about three dozen enemy missiles" and that rocket fragments fell on a kindergarten in the Sviatoshynskyi district and a residential building caught fire. It was the first large-scale strike on the capital in 44 days, and a appears a direct response to the last several days of Ukraine forces' cross-border drone attacks on Russian territory.
The head of Ukraine's air force Mykola Oleschuk said anti-air systems downed 31 missiles, counting among these two ballistic missiles and 29 cruise missiles, which points to a very large attack. The day prior, Russian missiles pummeled the northern city of Kharkiv, reportedly killing five.
President Zelensky in a statement said, "Such terror continues every day and night." He went on to urgently appeal for more weapons, especially anti-air missile systems, mentioning the US-made Patriots by name.
"It is possible to put an end to it through global unity... Russian terrorists do not have missiles capable of bypassing Patriot and other leading world systems," he said.
This is likely to give greater urgency to EU meetings in Brussels who are pushing forward a controversial plan which Moscow has decried as 'theft':
Later today, European Union leaders are scheduled to meet in Brussels to discuss the use of billions of euros in profits from frozen Russian financial assets to buy arms for Ukraine as they try to bolster Kyiv in its fight against Moscow’s invasion.
The bloc’s 27 national leaders, joined by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky via video link, will also debate how Europe can do more to defend itself and boost its arms industry, reflecting fears that the US may not be such a staunch protector of Europe in future.
A Thursday cross-border attack from Ukraine on Russia's Belgorod region had reportedly injured five, while a drone attack on Wednesday reached some 600km to hit Engels airbase which houses Russian strategic bombers.
By all accounts, Ukraine forces are fairing poorly at the front lines of fighting, but the cross-border attacks have served to distract from this.
Kiev is looking to inflict some degree of punishment on Russia, and so it appears its only desperate hope of doing this is by ramping up these cross-border attacks. But this invites more Russian action like attacks on the Ukrainian capital and other places far from the front lines. Russia has of late also been targeting the southern port city of Odesa with increased frequency.
