Putin Attacked Kyiv with Ballistic Missiles to Kill as Many Ukrainian Civilians as Possible

On May 29, Russia carried out two missile attacks against Ukraine — one of the attacks was with the use of 11 Iskander-M and Iskander-K ballistic missiles. Using such missiles against the city is a war crime, because they have great destructive power, leading to mass casualties among the civilian population. Thus, the Russians deliberately changed their tactics: the use of ballistics took place during the day, when the people were at work and on Kyiv’s streets. Without the Western air defense, this day would have become a tragic date for the capital of Ukraine: hundreds, probably thousands of Ukrainian civilians, whose genocide was approved by the Kremlin, could have died. At the same time, the Kremlin cynically insists on negotiations, continuing to kill civilians in Ukraine. Under such conditions negotiations with Russia are senseless, it is possible to stop its threat only by supplying weapons.

During May 2023, Russia carried out 16 missile and drone attacks aimed at the rear cities of Ukraine. In all cases, the targets are civilian and residential infrastructure, because target coordinates are put into Russian cruise and ballistic missiles in advance. This shows that the Kremlin is trying to cause as many victims as possible among peaceful Ukrainians. Russia is constantly producing new batches of missiles and has received additional deliveries of drones from Iran, so strikes on Ukrainian cities will continue, which will make air and missile defense supplies for the Armed Forces even more important.

The Kremlin is not going to stop its territorial expansion in Ukraine, moreover, the course for full militarization poses a threat to the West. In particular, it became known that Putin signed the law on the denunciation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which establishes limits on the quantities of various types of weapon. The unprecedented military reform in the Russian army is additional evidence of the Kremlin’s aggressive course aimed at confrontation with the civilized world. Russia is using all the resources to continue the war, which, in Putin’s view, should go beyond the borders of Ukraine.

Ukraine defends peace in Europe, as Russia has turned into a key threat to the West. Putin will not stop the war. It is possible to stop Russia only with the supply of weapons. Severe sanctions and embargoes on Russian goods must be imposed to deplete the Russian economy that finances the war. Sanctions and isolation of the Kremlin will contribute to the weakening of its army and save the lives of thousands of Ukrainians.