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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor

Kremlin decision to target Ukraine’s cities was political, not tactical

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a briefing session with permanent members of the Security Council, via video conference
With Russian forces clearly losing ground, Vladimir Putin’s decision-making is becoming more vicious. Photograph: APAImages/Rex/Shutterstock

Russia’s wave of missile and drone strikes aimed at Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine at the time of the morning rush hour marks a cynical response from the Kremlin to the bombing of the Kerch strait bridge to Crimea.

Its victims were overwhelmingly civilians, in what were the first strikes on the capital since the end of June, hitting buildings, streets, parks and children’s playgrounds. Power supplies in Lviv and Kharkiv were also affected in an attack that brought mass fear not seen since the first six weeks of the war.

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