Russia Launches Retaliatory Strikes on Ukrainian Decision-Making Centers After Belgorod Attacks - MoD

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Belgorod, a Russian city of 340,000 situated about 40 km from the Ukrainian border, was hit by a Ukrainian missile and long-range MLRS strike on Saturday, with 24 civilians killed and dozens injured. The terror strike came following Friday's massed Russian attacks across Ukraine targeting energy facilities, ammo depots, airfields and military HQs.

The Russian military made good on its promise to "punish" those responsible for Saturday's attack on Belgorod, striking a series of military facilities and decision-making centers in the city of Kharkov.

"A high-precision missile strike on the former Kharkov Palace hotel complex eliminated representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Main Intelligence Directorate, who were directly involved in the planning and execution of the terrorist attack in Belgorod," the MoD said in a statement Sunday.

According to the MoD's information, up to two hundred mercenaries were situated at the complex, and were planning to conduct terrorist raids inside Russia.

Additional strikes targeted the building of the Ukrainian Security Service in Kharkov Region, as well as a temporary deployment point of the Right Sector* formation, killing Ukrainian Intelligence Service representatives, foreign mercenaries and militants from the Kraken unit, who were similarly planning sabotage attacks on Russian territory.

Separately, Russian missiles hit a branch of the Ukrainian National Space Facilities Control Center in the area of the village of Zalestsy in Khmelnytsky region used for reconnaissance.

Sunday's strikes also targeted fuel depots in Kharkov and Ukrainian controlled areas of Zaporozhye, the temporary deployment points of units of Ukraine's 59th Motorized Infantry and 79th Airborne Assault Brigades, and a concentration of up to 600 foreign mercenaries. The attacks also hit concentrations of military equipment and artillery in the settlements of Selidovo, Kurakhovo and the Korotchenko Mine in the occupied portion of the Donetsk People's Republic.

The MoD assessed Ukrainian forces to have suffered "significant losses" in the latter strikes, including the destruction of two HIMARS launches which the military said were going to be used to target Donetsk during the New Year's holidays.

"We emphasize once again that the Russian Armed Forces only strike military targets and infrastructure directly associated with them," the MoD summarized.

Sunday's attacks followed promises by the Russian military a day earlier that Ukraine's daylight terror attack on downtown Belgorod "will not go unpunished."

Ukraine struck the downtown of the Russian city near the border with Kharkov region at about 3 pm local time on Saturday using Vilkha heavy MLRS-launched cluster munitions and rockets launched by Czech-made Vampir MLRS systems. The Russian military said it intercepted the Vilkhas and most of the Vampirs, but that several rockets got through, with remnants of the Vilkhas' cluster bombs dropping from the skies, resulting in casualties and damage. At least 24 people were killed in the Belgorod attacks, including at least four children. 108 others were injured. 37 apartment buildings, 453 apartments, three private households and seven social and government facilities were damaged.

Kiev launched its terror strikes a day after Russia carried out a massive attack on energy facilities, ammunition depots, airfields, ports, fuel terminals and military headquarters using over 120 cruise and ballistic missiles and dozens of drones in Kiev, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Odessa, Konotop and the Ukrainian-controlled portion of Zaporozhye on Friday.

Russia liberated wide swathes of Kharkov region in early 2022, surrounding the regional capital city of Kharkov, but made the tactical decision to withdraw to the border area to avoid losses in September 2022, concentrating on preparations for Ukraine's counteroffensive in Zaporozhye, Kherson and the Donbass the following summer. The region has since become a hotbed of artillery, missile and drone strikes and sabotage attacks into Belgorod region, with Russian forces recently kicking off a series of low-key campaigns to reestablish a foothold in Kharkov region.

Watch: Group of Retreating Ukrainian Soldiers Shot by Barrier Troops

The Kiev regime has been accused of using anti-retreat forces, which are military units tasked with preventing the withdrawal of their own troops. In mid-October, the governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said that Ukrainian barrier troops had opened fire on Ukrainian servicemen for refusing to cross the Dnepr River.

A Ukrainian barrier unit has shot at a group of retreating fighters from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a source familiar with the situation told Sputnik, providing the agency with video footage taken by a drone confirming it.

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"The Ukrainian Armed Forces are using the tactics of anti-retreat forces, and with them they are trying to hold back mobilized and territorial defense forces unwilling to die at the positions," the source said.

The footage shows the Russian military assaulting a Ukrainian stronghold. As soon as two Russian fighters enter the trench, five Ukrainian soldiers start running out the other side of the trench towards rear positions. However, after the fleeing soldiers reached their trench, Ukrainian barrier troops positioned there started shooting at their fellow soldiers and then threw grenades at them.

One of the retreating Ukrainian soldiers tried to run further to the rear, but the fighters from the barrier unit spotted him and started shooting him in the back.

Watch: Russian Kh-101 Long-Range Cruise Missile in Action

A cruise missile is a guided, self-propelled weapon that can travel long distances. It is designed to evade radar detection and avoid interception by enemy defenses. Cruise missiles are typically launched from aircraft, ships, or ground-based platforms and can carry a variety of payloads.

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The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage showing capabilities of the Kh-101 cruise missile.

The Kh-101 is a strategic, long-range cruise missile that entered service with the Russian military in 2013 and was developed by the legendary Raduga Design Bureau. Capable of flying up to 5,500 km and carrying a 400 kg warhead in its conventional variant and a 250 kiloton to one megaton warhead in its nuclear version.

NATO state too ‘scared’ to attend UN meeting – Russian diplomat

FILE PHOTO: The UN Security Council meets in New York, December 22, 2023. Charly Triballeau / AFP

The Czech Republic does not have the courage to publicly respond to Moscow’s claim that missiles made in the country were used by Ukraine to kill civilians, Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, said on Sunday.

Russia called an urgent meeting at the UN headquarters in New York on Saturday, requesting that the Czech delegation attend and “explain why this country’s ammunition is being used for killing civilians in Belgorod,” Polyansky said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian troops used Czech RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launchers to fire at the border city of Belgorod earlier that day, killing at least 22 people and injuring more than 100.

Prague declined to take part in the UN meeting. “We refuse to be summoned anywhere by Russia,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky wrote on X (formerly Twitter), accusing Moscow of “propaganda.” 

“When Russia wants to discuss the withdrawal of its occupying troops at the Security Council, we will be happy to come,” Lipavsky wrote.

Polyansky fired back on X. “Your cowardice and simple-mindedness have been noted,” the Russian diplomat wrote. “We assume that the Czech Republic will no longer participate in UN Security Council meetings on the issue of Ukraine.” 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also blasted Prague’s actions. “I didn’t think that the Czech Foreign Ministry would be so ignorant as to not know how the UN Security Council functions,” she wrote on Telegram.

Speaking at the Security Council, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia alleged that US and British “consultants” helped Kiev plan the “premeditated act of terror” against civilians in Belgorod. He warned that those responsible would be “punished.” 

Ukraine denied the allegations and accused Moscow of “terrorism” after the Russian Air Force carried out large-scale strikes in the neighboring country. According to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, 39 people were killed and nearly 160 were injured during the bombardment on Friday.

The Russian MOD stated that it was only striking ammunition depots and other military targets. Russian officials further claimed that civilian deaths were caused by the faulty work of Ukrainian air defense systems deployed in residential areas. 

'First Successful Attack' - Houthi missile hits containership After U.S. Launched Red Sea Patrolling

FILE PHOTO: Fotokon / Shutterstock.com

A Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned-and-operated container ship, Maersk Hangzhou, a container ship, has been hit by a Houthi missile in the Red Sea. After this, an American warship, the USS Gravely, shot down two more ballistic missiles while responding to a distress call along with the USS Laboon, the military said. The missiles were fired from a part of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthis, according to U.S. Central Command. The Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned ship was sailing from Singapore to Egypt's Port Said. This is the first successful attack since the launch of U.S.-led patrols in the Red Sea.

Maersk confirmed details of the incident in. The vessel was traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait en route from Singapore to Port Suez, Egypt, when the crew observed a “flash” on deck. The vessel and crew are reported safe.

“At approximately 06:30 pm CET, when the vessel was 55nm southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, the crew reported having observed a flash on deck. However, there is no indication of fire onboard the vessel, and we are currently working to ascertain the full details of the incident. The vessel is fully maneuverable and continues the transit north,” the statement said.

“Ensuring the safety of our crew is our utmost priority, and all necessary security measures are implemented to protect them,” the statement added.

The Maersk Hangzhou is a 14,000-capacity containership deployed on Maersk’s AE12-service between Europe and Asia.

The incident comes has Maersk has been resuming transits through the Red Sea with the establishment of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) naval coalition, while some other carriers have opted to continue to reroute ships around the Cape of Good Hope due to safety concerns as the Iran-backed Houthis have continued to carry out missile attacks against commercial shipping.

Maersk suspended transits through the Red Sea back on December 15 a day after a near-miss missile attack on the Maersk Gibraltar near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The announcement by Maersk led to other operators also suspending voyages and redirecting ships around the Cape of Good Hope. Since then about half of the containerships that normally transit the region have been rerouted.

Denmark on Friday said it was sending a frigate to join Operation Prosperity Guardian.

The Central Command said the incident the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since the November 19 hijacking of the Galaxy Leader car carrier, which continues by be held in Yemeni waters.

Lavrov talks about the Gaza crisis and punishment for Ukrainian war crimes after the military operation ended

©Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Go to the mediabank

Russia’s foreign minister sat down with Sputnik on the eve of the new year to discuss the most difficult problems facing Moscow and the planet, from the conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East to global strategic security.

Ukrainian officials accused of war crimes will be tried and punished in accordance with the law, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has assured Sputnik.

“An investigation into the Kiev regime’s crimes is already underway,” Lavrov said, when asked about the regime’s fate after Russia achieves the goals of its special military operation. “Russian law enforcement bodies are carefully recording and documenting the atrocities committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis, and aren’t limiting themselves to the period of the special military operation. The suffering of the civilian population of the Donbass began much earlier, in 2014. Those responsible will be brought to justice.”

The foreign minister specified work by Russia’s Investigative Committee probing more than 4,000 criminal cases brought against roughly 900 individuals, including neo-Nazi leaders, Ukrainian security service personnel, and mercenaries, plus “representatives of Ukraine’s military and political leadership,” some of them charged in absentia and placed on an international wanted listing.

“Based on evidence collected by the Investigative Committee, Russian courts have already sentenced more than 200 representatives of Ukraine’s Armed Forces to long prison terms for atrocities committed. The same fate awaits all other criminals. Each of them shall receive just retribution,” Lavrov said.

Gaza Crisis

Turning to the crisis in Gaza, which began on October 7 with Hamas' attack on southern Israel and escalated into a major humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory, Lavrov reiterated Russia’s support for Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, and pointed to the issues standing in the way.

“One of the obstacles getting in their way remains the lack of Palestinian unity,” he said, referring to the conflict between Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization in the West Bank.

“We support the actions of our partners, in particular Egypt and Algeria, aimed at solving this problem. For our part, we are also helping our Palestinian friends to find solutions, providing them with a platform in Russia for meetings. We are encouraging the Palestinian Liberation Organization to unite on a political platform, and are explaining the danger of division for the prospects of creating a Palestinian state,” Lavrov noted.

Moscow’s proposals on the convening of multilateral consultations on the matter remain “on the table,” the Russian top diplomat stressed, adding that the recent, December 20 meeting of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Morocco confirmed a unity of opinions between Russia and the Arab World on the issue.

Attempted 'Maidanization' of Serbia

Asked further to comment on the political crisis which began brewing in Serbia after snap parliamentary elections earlier this month, which Serbian authorities have characterized as an attempted "Maidanization" of the Balkan nation, Lavrov confirmed that Russia’s dialogue with Belgrade includes a focus on security cooperation, with Moscow “always ready to lend a shoulder to its Serbian friends.”

“What happened in Belgrade [last week, ed.] was another attempt to orchestrate the illegal seizure of power. Apparently, not everyone in the West is prepared to accept the fact that Serbia’s voters expressed support for President [Aleksandar] Vucic and his political course in the elections. The trend, frankly speaking, is not new, and it’s well known how such misadventures usually end. Suffice it to recall the February 2014 coup in Ukraine, which was incited by Washington and Brussels,” Lavrov said.

“In Serbia, people have not forgotten about this either, thanks in part to their own experience,” the Russian top diplomat added, alluding to the 2000 "Bulldozer Revolution" coup against Slobodan Milosevic. “Apparently, this is why the number of protesters is relatively small – only a few hundred people. People don’t trust [political] figures who talk about their opposition to violence, but in reality behave in the exact opposite way, ignoring the will of the people and provoke law enforcement.”

Moscow assesses the general situation in Serbia as “stable” at present, with the country’s leadership in firm control over the situation, “clearly understanding that that is where their national interest lies,” Lavrov said.

Bilateral Relations With the US

Asked to comment on the shifting political climate in the United States and the possibility of improved relations between Moscow and Washington in the event that a Republican wins next year’s presidential relations, Lavrov emphasized that Russia will continue to take a careful approach, regardless of who is in charge in the US.

“Our readiness to restore a full-fledged dialogue with the United States should not be taken for granted. Russian-American relations have been degraded to the limit thanks to Washington, which has doctrinally formalized the task of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia. While the White House remains wary of razing what remains of the relationship to the ground, the Americans clearly aren’t ready to conduct an honest dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of one another’s interests,” the foreign minister stressed.

Accordingly, he said, arriving at a formula of peaceful coexistence and the possibility of cooperation in some areas will be possible “only after Washington recognizes our fundamental national interests and begins to negotiate in earnest. Meanwhile, ruling circles in the US deny the realities of a multipolar world and continue to think in terms of their own superiority and exclusivity.”

“The American political establishment, regardless of party affiliation, sees Russia as an enemy and an existential threat. Given the existing cross-party consensus on this issue, it would be naive to hope for an improvement in relations if a Republican candidate were to win. By and large, we don’t care who wins the race for the US presidency,” Lavrov emphasized.

Arms Control

Finally, asked about the issue of strategic arms control, including the possibility of Russia reconsidering its unilateral moratorium on the deployment of ground-based nuclear missiles in the 500 to 5,500 km range, Lavrov stressed that an “unambiguous signal” in this regard was embedded in the language of the moratorium itself.

“I would like to remind you that our commitment to this moratorium is strictly linked to the potential appearance of US ground-based intermediate-range missiles in the relevant regions” near Russia, Lavrov said. “Given the characteristics and peculiarities of the use of weapons of this class, the issue of their deployment by hostile countries is a very sensitive issue from the point of view of Russian national security. In the case of the United States, this aspect takes on special importance, given its direct relationship to other factors which influence strategic stability. It is obvious that the creation of additional missile-related risks by Washington will require us to take serious retaliatory measures,” he explained.

At the same time, Lavrov emphasized that “in the absence of extraordinary steps by the United States to increase the pressure exerted on us by other means, Russia will not be the first to deploy missile weapons which were previously prohibited under the INF [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces, ed.] Treaty. However, judging by the Pentagon’s preparations, it won’t be long before the Americans take practical steps to deploy ground-based intermediate-range missiles in various regions of the world. So the moment when we will have to make the necessary political decisions is in fact coming to a head,” the foreign minister summarized.

The United States unilaterally scrapped the INF Treaty in 2018. In 2020, it left the 1992 Treaty on Open Skies. Before that, in 2002, it pulled out of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, prompting Moscow to dust off Soviet-era plans to develop a new class of hypersonic missiles. The Trump administration threatened to let the clock run out on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) in early 2021, with the incoming Biden administration renewing it at the last minute. Moscow suspended its participation in New START earlier this year, citing US efforts to “inflict a strategic defeat” on Russia, including by targeting bases containing elements of its strategic deterrent by Washington’s Ukrainian proxies

Kiev used banned weapons in attack on Russian city – Defense Ministry

The Ministry of Emergency Situations extinguished cars that had caught fire earlier as a result of a strike by Ukrainian troops in the center of Belgorod. © Sputnik / Taisiya Liskovets

Kiev employed rockets carrying cluster bomb warheads in its strike against the Russian border city of Belgorod, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Saturday, labeling the attack a ”crime.” This weapon type has been banned by more than 110 nations under a UN convention dating back to 2008, due to the extreme danger it poses to civilians. Its use in densely populated areas can lead to devastating consequences.

The “Kiev regime” used several multiple rocket launchers to hit the city earlier on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement on Telegram. One was a Ukrainian Olkha system, which is capable of firing 12 guided rockets in one volley, hitting targets at a maximum range of 70 to 130 kilometers, depending on the type of system. The Olkha rockets were equipped with cluster bomb warheads, the ministry claimed.

A Czech-made RM-70 Vampire – an upgraded heavier version of the Soviet BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher – was also used, according to the Russian military.

Russian air defenses intercepted most of the incoming projectiles, but several hit the city, the ministry said. It added that “in case of a direct hit by Olkha missiles equipped with cluster munitions… the consequences would be immeasurably more severe.”

Earlier, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said that the strike claimed the lives of 14 people, including two children, and left 108 people, among them 15 children, injured.

The Russian military accused Kiev of seeking to draw public attention away from its failures on the front line, as well as provoking Moscow into retaliatory strikes of a similar nature. The ministry maintained that Russia only strikes military targets and infrastructure that is directly relevant to these military facilities.

“This crime will not go unpunished,” the military said.

Cluster munitions are highly controversial due to their design. They comprise dozens of small submunitions that can be scattered over a large area by an initial detonation, which can then also explode, causing a large number of smaller secondary blasts. Some, however, typically fail to detonate and remain a hazard for years or even decades.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in July that the use of cluster bombs should be regarded as a war crime. At the time, Washington had announced that it would supply Kiev with cluster bombs out of its Cold War-era stockpiles, justifying its decision by claiming that Ukraine had pledged not to use them in populated areas.

The US government also claimed that both Russia and Ukraine had been using their own cluster munitions throughout the conflict. Nevertheless, the move sparked widespread criticism even among America’s allies, including Canada, Germany, and the UK.

Putin said at the time that Moscow reserved the right to use its own cluster munitions in response. He added that Russia had previously refrained from using the weapons even when there was a shortage of other types of munitions.

Russia says 14 dead after ‘indiscriminate’ Ukrainian attack on city of Belgorod

Russia earlier launched about 110 missiles and drones against Ukrainian targets, in what appeared to be one of the biggest aerial barrages of the 22-month war. (AP/File)

Russia said 14 people including two children had been killed and 108 injured in “indiscriminate” Ukrainian strikes allegedly including cluster bombs on the nearby Russian provincial capital of Belgorod on Saturday, and vowed to retaliate.

The Kommersant newspaper cited a source close to the Russian Investigative Committee as saying missiles fired from a multiple rocket launcher in Ukraine’s Kharkov region had hit a skating rink on the central Cathedral Square, a shopping center, residential buildings and a car.

No official comment was immediately available from Kyiv, but the Ukrainian news outlet RBC-Ukraine quoted sources as saying Ukrainian forces had struck military targets in Belgorod in response to a massive Russian bombardment of Ukrainian cities the previous day.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the state-run RIA news agency that Russia had requested a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the incident.

Air raid sirens had sounded around the city as regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov urged all residents to move to shelters.

The Belgorod region, which adjoins northern Ukraine, has like other Russian border zones suffered shelling and drone attacks all year that authorities have blamed on Ukraine.

“Today, the Kyiv regime attempted an indiscriminate combined strike on the city of Belgorod with two ‘Olkha’ missiles in a banned cluster configuration, as well as Czech-made Vampire rockets,” the Defense Ministry said in a Telegram posting. “This crime will not go unpunished.”

It said most of the rockets including both ‘Olkha’ missiles had been shot down, averting far greater casualties, although fragments had fallen on the city. Images posted by RIA showed at least three cars on fire, and other images posted online showed black smoke rising from the city.

Two residents told Reuters they had seen air defense missiles rising into the sky followed by explosions in the air and then louder blasts.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022 in what it calls a “special military operation,” had unleashed its biggest air attack of the war on Friday.

Ukrainian officials said 39 civilians had been killed and 159 wounded as Russia launched 158 missiles and drones at cities and towns across Ukraine.

Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Bryansk region which also adjoins Ukraine, said on Saturday a child had been killed in strikes on “civilian objects” in two villages, without specifying when the attacks took place.

Belgorod Terror Bombing Signals Ukraine’s ‘Desperation’ - Former US Army Colonel

Over a dozen civilians were killed and scores more injured during Saturday’s daytime Ukrainian missile strike on Belgorod – a Russian city of 340,000 situated about 40 km from the Ukrainian border. Sputnik asked retired US Army colonel Earl Rasmussen for his take on what the Ukrainian military’s terror bombing campaign is meant to accomplish.

Casualties from Saturday’s Belgorod terror bombing attack continue to mount, with the Emergency Situations Ministry reporting at least 14 dead and 108 injured as of 6:30 pm Moscow time.

Russia’s military vowed to respond to the “criminal” attack in a measured way without resorting to eye-for-an-eye deliberate targeting of civilians. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced plans to call a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the incident.

The MoD indicated that Saturday’s strikes involved two Vilkha long-range guided, cluster munition-equipped missiles and a number of Czech-made RM-70 Vampir MLRS rockets, donated by Prague to Kiev in 2022. Russian air defenses targeted by the incoming missiles and rockets, shooting some of them down and reportedly preventing the Vilkhas from scoring a direct hit which the MoD said would have made the strike’s deadliness “immeasurably more severe.”

“I think we see a sign of desperation in Ukraine,” Earl Rasmussen told Sputnik, commenting on the Belgorod attacks. “They claim that they’re targeting military [objects], but we see very seldom [that it] is actually military targets. And in this case, we have a large number of civilian casualties. It’s desperation,” the former Eurasia Foundation vice president added.

“They’re trying to hit into Russia proper, they’re trying to change attitudes of Russian people perhaps. They’re trying to claim some type of ‘positive news’ they can provide their backers,” Rasmussen explained, not ruling out that the Belgorod strike may have been based on targeting information provided by NATO.

“It easily could have been Western countries providing targeting information. Did they provide them incorrectly? Were the coordinates off? I think they’re trying to strike out just at anything…That’s the situation with Kiev. I think they’re just trying to strike at anything and inflict whatever type of damage they can rather than rationally coming to a negotiated settlement or accepting the outcome. They’re in denial and delusion and they’re just trying to lash out. And it’s unfortunate civilians are being killed. It’s a pattern of theirs, and I think it’s a sign of desperation.”

“Belgorod is big enough where you’re going to see it in the news, it’s going to be heightened awareness and so it kind of plays into their terror – it’s terrorism, that’s what it is. It’s basically terror tactics. And even though their political goals or their military goals are not being met, terror tactics are there to strike fear, to [prompt] questions, to disrupt society and the average person. And that’s what they’re doing. If we look at this whole campaign, we’ve seen a lot of terror-type tactics. Drones attacking Moscow, attacking the Kerch Bridge. We’ve seen the Nord Stream pipeline being blown up. We’ve seen other sites attacked. It’s basically international terrorism, and Ukraine is actively participating in that,” Rasmussen emphasized.

Saturday’s deadly Belgorod attack comes in the wake of the failure of Ukraine’s disastrous summer counteroffensive, which failed to expel Russia from Crimea, Kherson, Zaporozhye or the Donbass, and cost the country’s military over 125,000 casualties. It also came a day after a massive Russian air and drone strike campaign targeting energy facilities, ammunition depots, airfields, ports, fuel terminals and military headquarters using over 120 cruise and ballistic missiles and dozens of drones in Kiev, Karkhov, Dnepropetrovsk, Konotop, Lvov, Odessa and the Ukrainian-controlled portion of Zaporozhye.