Russia fired more than 600 drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday morning - one of the largest barrages of the war.
At least four people were killed in Kyiv during the overnight attacks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky. Local officials said 42 people were injured in the capital and surrounding region, and 31 in Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine. Drones were still being shot down over the Ukrainian capital on Sunday morning.
The barrage was the third largest reported by the Ukrainian air force since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, underlining Kyiv’s challenge even after this week getting stronger signs of support from the US.
I think they’re trying to stretch their economy and man power as much as possible.
Also their hands are tied. The good guys don’t strike first….usually. I think that’s why Russia is antagonising them all at the moment trying to get them to strike back and justify everything.
But they can’t sustain a war economy without results especially when they’re suffering the effects (gas for the people) without being invaded. I think Putin wants to be invaded so he can get conscription and popular support (everyone defends their homeland) like Ukraine does.
Kursk region says hiii. There, Russia got conflicted because they both wanted to agitate people over it, but also wanted to downplay it for less reputational losses - and not get their ongoing offensive elsewhere compromised. That’s where unprecedented North Korean participation occured. Not only it was on the table, it was prefered over full commitment, with all new problems it means. Why that’s the case is an open question, my guess even if someone wants that, already weakened economy won’t survive the amount of wear supporting more soldiers means. And, besides, the current slow grind won’t be an option after that commitment - they either start winning, and fast, or it would be perceived as a total failure - and something tells me they know adding more unenthusiastic bodies won’t help that much on the battlefield where what they need is not as much as manpower, but ammunition, drones, vehicles for troops already deployed. Rounds of donations and volunteering exist on both sides, and without succesful militarization of economy it’s hard to imagine. What they do now is slow compensation of falling buying ability of the rouble - just today there were news of signing an order of autumn recruitment campaign (18-30, supposedly not on the frontlines) - and a 20 -> 22% rise in taxes applied to personal wages for legally employed individuals. I’d probably wait to see some more active preparations if they have planned some drastic expansion of armed troops. This can’t be done overnight.