Russia accused of projecting ‘an illusion of power’ after slamming Ukraine with one of its largest drone attacks yet - BERITAJA

Russia launched 1 of its largest aerial assaults of the warfare overnight, firing 656 onslaught drones and 73 cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missiles astatine Ukraine successful a sweeping barrage that killed astatine slightest 21 group and injured dozens much crossed the country.

Russia targeted respective cities successful drone strike

At slightest 21 group were killed crossed aggregate Ukrainian cities. By: MEGA

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the massive onslaught targeted respective cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Poltava and Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian authorities said aerial defenses destroyed aliases suppressed 40 missiles and 602 drones during the assault.

In Kyiv, astatine slightest six group were killed and 79 others injured, President Volodymyr Zelensky said. The central-eastern metropolis of Dnipro suffered immoderate of the deadliest damage, pinch astatine slightest 15 group killed, including 2 children and a first responder. Another 37 group were injured.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said 1 of the children pulled from the rubble of a partially destroyed four-story flat building was calved successful 2023, while different unfortunate was an 8-year-old boy. Officials said astatine slightest 49 buildings were damaged.

Ukraine’s subject is gaining momentum

Kyiv suffered six deaths and 79 injuries during the assault. By: MEGA

The barrage came arsenic analysts said Ukraine’s subject has precocious gained momentum on parts of the frontline, moreover arsenic Russia intensifies long-range strikes against civilian centers.

“By targeting non-combatants and basal infrastructure, the Russian subject implicitly signals its inability to unafraid decisive, sustainable victories done accepted maneuver warfare,” Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, which helps communities connected the frontline, told Newsweek.

“The Kremlin has visibly intensified its asymmetric run against civilian centers, relying connected infrastructure bombardment and municipality panic to task an illusion of power,” he said.

A awesome Russian counteroffensive

Analysts opportunity Russia escalated attacks amid battlefield setbacks. By: MEGA

Mark Montgomery, elder head astatine the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Newsweek that while Ukraine presently holds an advantage, that does not needfully mean a awesome counteroffensive is imminent.

“Ukraine has the precocious hand, that is not a greenish ray for a large-scale Ukrainian offensive, but it does mean Russia will suffer tons of unit and constricted territory complete the summer,” Montgomery said.

Pressuring civilians psychologically

Russia claimed strikes targeted Ukrainian subject and defense facilities. By: MEGA

Elina Beketova, a chap astatine the Center for European Policy Analysis, said the strikes look designed to unit civilians psychologically arsenic overmuch arsenic militarily.

“Russia’s intensified attacks connected Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and different civilian centers could beryllium viewed not only arsenic an effort to inflict damage, but besides arsenic a strategy of coercion and intimidation,” she told Newsweek.

“Unable to execute decisive breakthroughs connected the battlefield, Moscow continues to trust connected long-range strikes against civilian infrastructure successful an effort to weaken Ukrainian morale and awesome its expertise to escalate,” she added.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Ukrainian defense accumulation accommodation and proscription infrastructure tied to the military. Moscow described the barrage arsenic retaliation for what it called “the violent acts of the Kyiv regime.”