Russia launches an unprecedented attack combining missiles and drones on kyiv, a first in 2 months. Ukraine fears losing crucial U.S. support as its troops retreat from the front. What will happen next?
On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, the Ukrainian capital kyiv was the target of an unprecedented Russian air attack combining missiles and drones, the first offensive of this type in more than two months. The escalation comes as Ukrainian forces are losing ground on the front and fear crucial U.S. support is eroding.
An air attack on an unprecedented scale
According to the kyiv military administration, Russia carried out a “combined” air operation against the city with ballistic and cruise missiles as well as kamikaze droneswhich lasted more than two hours. If the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses were able to intercept numerous projectiles, limiting the damage, it is nevertheless a question of the most intense attack carried out against the capital for 73 days.
According to an initial report, one person was injured by falling debris from a missile shot down above Brovary, a suburb of kyiv. In total, Russian forces are said to have launched six missiles et 90 drones targeting several regions of the country, also causing the death of a 52-year-old woman in the southern town of Beryslav.
Zelensky’s reaction and concerns for US support
Faced with this new escalation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again denounced “Russian terrorism”, while praising the effectiveness of his country’s anti-aircraft defense. He expressed gratitude to Western allies who have provided crucial military aid to Ukraine since the start of the conflict.
However, this assistance appears to be under threat as Ukrainians and Europeans fear a change of course of the United States with a possible return to power of Donald Trump in 2024. An interruption of American support would be catastrophic for kyiv at a time when its troops are giving ground in the face of Russian pressure in the east of the country.
North Korean reinforcements alongside the Russians
To make the situation worse, Moscow would have received reinforcements from more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers who would now fight alongside Russian forces in the Kursk region, partly occupied by the Ukrainian army since last August. An offensive which aimed to divert Russian troops but which did not have the expected results.
Race against time for US military aid
Faced with these worrying developments, the Biden administration is seeking to accelerate the delivery of weapons and equipment to Ukraine. Of the aid envelope voted in the spring, there would still be around 9.2 billion dollars to be allocated, including 7.1 billion to draw on American stocks.
However, despite pressing calls from kyiv, it seems unlikely that Washington will lift its veto on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles that can strike deep into Russian territory. A caution that could cost the Ukrainian army dearly in the weeks to come.
Russian drone crashes in Moldova
The fallout from the conflict is not limited to Ukraine. On Tuesday, Moldovan police announced they had found a crashed Russian drone in the east of the country, near the Ukrainian border. He apparently accompanied a Shahed kamikaze drone but did not pose a risk to the local population.
A decisive turning point in the war?
This new Russian air offensive against kyiv undeniably marks a worrying escalation in the Ukrainian conflict. While kyiv’s forces are struggling to contain Moscow’s pressure on the ground, the possible loss of American support in the event of a political change in Washington poses an existential threat to Ukraine’s capacity to resist.
In this tense context, the international community is holding its breath. The next few weeks could well be decisive for the outcome of this war which has been tearing Europe apart for over a year now, with major geopolitical and economic repercussions on a global scale. More than ever, the future of Ukraine and European security is at stake.
