“Russia’s Fresh Attacks on Ukraine Amid Victory Day Preparations”

Russia launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine on Monday morning, coinciding with Moscow’s preparations to commemorate victory over the Nazis in World War II.

According to Ukraine’s air force, 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defense in the Kyiv region. However, the debris caused damage to several buildings and resulted in civilian injuries. Additionally, Russian bombers fired a minimum of eight cruise missiles at the Odesa region, resulting in the destruction of food warehouses.

Every year, Russia celebrates the Soviet triumph over Hitler on May 9, and President Vladimir Putin has often utilized the occasion to bolster his strongman image during his lengthy tenure. However, this year’s celebrations will be somewhat subdued, as Putin has canceled parades in Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions, which border Ukraine, as well as in Russian-occupied Crimea, citing security concerns. With the ongoing full-scale war on Ukraine now entering its second year and no sign of an imminent victory, even the Kremlin is no longer entirely safe following the recent drone attack.

Although Ukraine claimed to have successfully shot down all the drones, the falling debris still caused significant destruction. Sergiy Popko, head of Kyiv region’s military administration, reported at least five injuries, while numerous cars, residential buildings, a diesel reservoir, and a gas pipe were damaged.

The southern Odesa region of Ukraine also came under fire, with the Russian army launching a minimum of eight cruise missiles. The Ukrainian military reported that X-22 type missiles hit a food enterprise warehouse and the recreational zone along the Black Sea coast. Emergency services are attending the scene, and three workers of the warehouse sustained minor injuries, while one person remains missing, according to Yuriy Kruk, head of Odesa district military administration.

As Russia approaches its V-Day commemorations, these strikes occur amid the Kremlin’s struggle to break the stalemate in Bakhmut, which it has been attacking for months. Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s stance has been inconsistent in recent days, initially threatening to withdraw his forces from Bakhmut due to a disagreement with top military officials in the Kremlin, and then announcing that his troops would remain on the battlefield.

Ukraine’s primary objective is to hold Bakhmut until May 9, thereby causing embarrassment to Putin in the process.