Russia launched its biggest missile and drone onslaught in many months against Ukraine overnight. Authorities in Kyiv described the raids as the heaviest to target its energy infrastructure in the war so far. For Moscow, the latest round of attacks was revenge for Ukrainian strikes launched against targets inside Russia, especially energy-related ones, during its recent presidential election. More generally, they are part of a pattern of raids by both sides aimed at energy infrastructure.
The latest attacks involved 88 missiles of various types and 63 Iranian-designed Shahed one-way attack drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said. These were primarily targeted against the regions of Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia.
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While it’s abundantly clear that the destruction of critical non-military infrastructure is the primary aim of these attacks, Russia has justified the campaign in terms of the alleged disruption it brings to the Ukrainian military machine.
Today, however, saw a noticeable uptick in rhetoric from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian publication that Moscow saw itself as in a “state of war” because of the West’s intervention on behalf of Ukraine.
In the past, Russian officials have repeatedly described the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the offensives that have followed as a “special military operation.”
Some saw Peskov’s words as evidence that Moscow is now preparing its citizens for what will now be more openly considered a full-scale conflict, and one that will be longer and harder-fought than expected.
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