The capital and other Ukrainian cities were subjected to sheer terror. On 17 June, Russia deployed every available aerial weapon to strike Kyiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, Kalibrs, cruise and ballistic missiles, and Shahed drones.
Russia’s large-scale attack on Kyiv and Iran’s missile strikes on Israel occurred almost simultaneously, during the night of 16-17 June, BBC reports. Iran, a Russian ally, had previously helped Moscow build production lines for Shaheds to target Ukrainian cities. This time, Russia launched 440 Iranian-like drones in its attack on Ukraine.
The Russian terrorist attack damaged residential buildings and killed 20 civilians. The number of casualties is not final as Ukraine continues to remove rubble from destroyed buildings.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defense has cynically declared that its attacks’ objectives have been achieved. The missile struck so deep it pierced all concrete floors down to the basement.
All nine stories collapsed, leaving behind a two-story concrete ruin.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy states that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin continues the war simply because he is allowed to.
“It’s a tragedy when the powerful of this world turn a blind eye. It’s the terrorists who should feel the pain, not ordinary, peaceful people,” he emphasize.
At the same time, Poland, which currently chairs the Council of the European Union, has declared its support for Ukraine and expressed condolences to those who became victims of Russia’s carpet bombings. This is the same tactic Moscow used in Chechnya and Syria, and now applied to Kyiv, UkrInform reports.
Iran mirrors the same strategy, indiscriminately targeting Israeli cities. At the same time, US President Donald Trump has called for a peace agreement with Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Yet, when it comes to Iran, he takes a hardline stance: demanding not a ceasefire, but a total abandonment of the nuclear program, per CBS News.
Warsaw is pushing for the adoption of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, particularly the introduction of a price cap on Russian oil.
This package specifically targets oil, the fuel source that powers Russia’s war machine. This is critically important for Ukraine, as high oil prices have risen after the start of Israeli strikes on Iran, allowing Russia to earn enormous profits that are immediately funneled into weapons procurement.
Many experts and politicians believe that Moscow could be preparing a staging ground for launching a new war directly in Europe, especially in light of the Trump administration’s isolationist policies.
European leaders have expressed condolences and condemned Russian terror. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kyiv remains silent.