A significant Russian attack with drones and missiles against civilian areas in Ukraine killed four people and left at least 27 injured, officials reported on Tuesday, as Moscow's military intensified its efforts to break through Ukrainian defenses along the front line, which could mark the beginning of a long-anticipated spring ground offensive. Russia launched nearly 400 long-range drones against Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force, in its largest attack in weeks. The assault continued into Tuesday morning, when dozens of drones targeted the capital, Kyiv, in broad daylight.
Russia also fired 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, hitting at least 10 locations across the country, according to the air force. Ukrainian civilians have endured relentless bombardments since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago. U.
S. -mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv over the past year have brought no relief, as Russia rejected Ukraine's offer for a ceasefire, and in recent weeks, the war in Iran has diverted international attention from Ukraine's plight. Along the approximately 1,250-kilometer (750-mile) front line that winds through eastern and southern Ukraine, defenders, lacking manpower, have been preparing for a new offensive from the larger Russian army as the weather improves.
The commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, noted that in recent days, Russian troops have made simultaneous attempts to break through defensive lines in several strategic areas. "Fierce fighting occurred along the entire contact line," Syrskyi stated on Monday via the messaging app Telegram. Russia launched 619 attacks in four days, he added.
"The occupiers are trying to bring in new units and are preparing to continue the attacks," Syrskyi said. He noted that…
Russia has intensified its attacks since March 17 and has moved heavy equipment and more troops to the front line, the organization noted late Monday. Each year, with the arrival of good weather, Russia has accelerated its exhausting war of attrition. However, it has failed to capture cities and has only made incremental advances in rural areas.
Russia occupies about 20% of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014. Ukraine has developed advanced drone technology to compensate for its infantry shortages. Amid the conflict in the Middle East, Kyiv is offering U.
S. and Gulf partners Ukraine's combat-tested drone defenses, hoping to exchange that knowledge for the scarce Patriot air defense missiles it needs to repel Russian bombardments. Ukraine has also used its domestically produced long-range drones to attack areas in Russia that support Moscow's war effort.
Russian air defenses intercepted 55 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions, annexed Crimea, and the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.