Russia, Kremlin after ‘retaliation notice’
Second day airstrikes on Ukraine
Russia’s claim that “the US is behind it”
“A clear and blatant lie”
The aftermath of a drone attack on the Kremlin, the official residence of the Russian president, continues. The Russian government, which claimed that the attack was carried out by Ukraine in an attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin, blamed the United States for the attack on the 4th (local time). Russia, which predicted a retaliatory attack, unleashed a massive attack across Ukraine on the second day.
“We have nothing to do with this (the attack on the Kremlin),” said White House National Security Council (NSC) Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby. I am not involved in this,” he said.
“From the beginning, Russia intended to paint this war as a battle between the West and Russia, NATO and Russia, and the United States and Russia,” Kirby said. did.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the day before, “I know that the decision on this terrorist act is made by the United States, not Ukraine. “I know that the US often targets them,” he said.
Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine for two days in a row while various possibilities such as Russia’s self-made act and Ukraine’s psychological warfare were raised over the drone attack on the Kremlin, the heart of Russia’s power, at dawn on the 3rd. From that night, explosions continued in the skies above major cities such as Kiiu, the capital, and Odessa in the south.
A drone is shot down over Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on the 4th (local time). The Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down a Russian military drone that had lost control. Russia’s retaliatory airstrikes continued for the second day in Kieu that day. Reuters Yonhap News
An official from the Ukrainian Southern Command said on the night of the 3rd and early morning of the 4th that Russia had sent 24 self-destruct drones to Kiev and Odessa, among which 18 were shot down. The Southern Command released photos of the downed drone with the words “For Moscow” and “For the Kremlin” written on it.
On the night of the 4th, Russia’s drone and missile attacks continued. Air raid alerts were sounded not only in Kieu, but also in major cities across the country, and eight explosions occurred in Odessa. “The intensity of the attack was the strongest this year,” said Sergei Popko, head of the Kiiwu city military. No casualties have been confirmed so far, but drone fragments damaged buildings and caused fires in various places.
The worst hit was the southern city of Kherson, which was occupied by Russia for eight months last year. On the 3rd, at least 23 people were killed and 46 injured in Kherson, where Russian forces indiscriminately shelled civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: “Train station and crossing, house, hardware store, supermarket and gas station. “Do you know what these places have in common,” he wrote, “they are the bloody traces left by Russian shells, and the casualties are all civilians.” He released a gruesome picture of the shelling site and said, “The world should see and know this. We will never forgive criminals.”
A child is rescued by police from a supermarket in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson after heavy shelling by Russian forces on March 3 (local time). The attack killed 23 civilians and injured at least 46 in Kherson. AFP Yonhap News
The authorities in Kherson imposed a 58-hour curfew from 5 p.m. on the 5th as casualties continued. Alexander Prokudin, head of Kherson’s military administration, said the move was aimed at preparing for the Russian threat and asked residents to stock up on water, food and medicine.
According to the latest data from the United Nations, 8,574 civilians have been killed and 14,441 injured in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February last year.
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence authorities observed that Russia is unlikely to launch a major offensive in Ukraine this year due to lack of troops and munitions, but will not even negotiate a ceasefire. Avril Haynes, director of the US National Intelligence Service (ODNI), said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the 4th, “If Russia does not initiate forced recruitment and does not secure a significant amount of ammunition in excess of its existing supply from Iran and others, even a moderate offensive operation will not be possible.” It will become increasingly difficult to maintain.”
Although Russia is building a defensive position in relation to Ukraine’s imminent spring counterattack, it is observed that it will be difficult for Russia to go on the offensive this year, regardless of Ukraine’s success. Haynes predicted that Russia would focus more on controlling the occupied eastern and southern territories, saying, “It is unlikely that Russia will negotiate a ceasefire for political reasons.”
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2023-05-05 05:37:00
