On the ground, Ukraine’s military has been clawing back swathes of territory from Russia in a series of blistering counteroffensives in recent months. It has demonstrated an ability to strike far behind enemy lines, most notably when it hit the Kerch Strait Bridge linking Crimea to the mainland.
But despite those successes, it has remained vulnerable to attacks from the air. Russia’s response to the strike on the strategically important bridge was fierce and swift: it rained a flurry of more than 75 missiles on Ukrainian cities across the country, hitting both civilian and military targets. Although not all the missiles hit their mark, it was a painful reminder of that vulnerability.
