Russia attacks Ukraine with drone swarm

Russia launched the largest drone strike against Ukraine in several months, as Ukraine celebrated Victory Day a day early.

Russia attacks Ukraine

According to Newsmax and American Briefing, Russia launched a total of sixty Iranian-made drones, loaded with explosives, at Ukrainian targets. Thirty-six of these flew toward Kiev (Kyiv). Mayor Vitali Klitschko insists that Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses shot down all the drones. But damage did occur to warehouses, apartment buildings, and one airport runway. Whether this damage was due to “falling debris” or to drones that got through, none can independently verify.

One food warehouse in Odesa was burning overnight, allegedly from a missile strike. Drone “wreckage” injured three people in the Solomyanskayi District and two in the Sviatoshyn District. More such “wreckage” struck the runway at Zhuliani Airport, one of two providing passenger air service to Kiev.

This marks the largest single drone strike since the Special Military Operation began. Russia launched this after two drones exploded over the Kremlin last week, causing a brief rooftop fire. President Vladimir Putin was not in residence at the time, but Russian officials insisted he was the target. Russia had pledged to retaliate “as it sees fit”; most observers believe this strike is the retaliation.

Victory Day

Russia continues preparing to celebrate Victory Day on its traditional date of May 9. This is actually V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, when the German army surrendered. That surrender came slightly earlier than midnight May 8 (Central European Time) but after midnight on May 9 (Moscow Time). Hence, Russia and all Slavic countries have celebrated Victory Day on May 9.

But Ukraine, for the first time, celebrated Victory Day today (May 8), in a clear break with Russia and Russians. Furthermore they are now calling it Victory for Europe Day, similar to the American V-E Day designation. (In the United States today, V-E day is almost unobserved. The much more important celebration for Americans is V-J Day – Victory over Japan. This marks the real end of World War Two for the Americans, who fought in two theaters in that War.

Russia has also canceled or curtailed the massive military parades that Victory Day usually features. Rumor has it that the Russians need to deploy, rather than parade, all that hardware to the Ukrainian front.