Analysts: Putin’s missile ‘rain’ on Ukraine is the classic definition of terrorism

Putin is a “rational person, but he made a complete miscalculation,” says Joe Biden. The American president believes that the Kremlin leader did not expect such resistance in Ukraine.

After Germany, the United States also promises to send advanced anti-aircraft systems to the neighboring country. In recent days, Russian missiles have hit residential buildings, schools and streets in Ukrainian cities, leaving behind casualties.

In addition, Russian missiles have destroyed almost a third of the country’s energy infrastructure, says the Ukrainian minister in charge of this field.

With few pauses, sirens sounded all day in Ukraine on Tuesday. In Zaporozhye, several Russian rockets hit a hospital, several blocks of flats and a school. In Vinnitsa, the thermal power plant was attacked. Much of Lviv remained without power.

The furious campaign against the cities aims to demoralize Ukrainians and possibly unleash a new wave of refugees into Western Europe. This is the classic definition of terrorism, Western analysts say.

Iranian drones used in the latest attack on Ukraine

According to Forbes magazine, the 84 missiles and 24 drones launched Monday morning on major Ukrainian cities cost Moscow between 400 and 700 million dollars.

John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council: “When you look at the scope of these attacks, it’s not something the Kremlin could plan in two days. They must have been preparing this for some time. I don’t think there were reprisals after the attack on the bridge, but only a continuation of Vladimir Putin’s plan, visible for several weeks, to specifically target civil infrastructure”.

In a rare public intervention, Jeremy Fleming, the head of Britain’s spy agency, pointed out that Russian soldiers are running out of supplies and ammunition, and initial gains made by Moscow are being reversed. Britain’s spy chief believes Moscow’s forces have reached exhaustion and the recent partial mobilization betrays desperation.

Not everyone, however, fully agrees with this analysis.

Sidharth Kaushal, researcher at the Royal United Services Institute: “It is very difficult to say how many missiles the Russians still have. We may be left with very few modern, high-precision missiles like the Kalibr. But they have large stockpiles of Soviet-era missiles, for example the Kh-22. And they seem to have prioritized the production of new Kalibr missiles. One of the factories producing them employed 500 people even before the invasion. It is true, however, that they have used a phenomenal number of missiles so far, over 2,000 ballistic and cruise missiles. And, at some point, they will hit the bottom of the bag”.

According to the German media, a first anti-aircraft defense system, one of the most modern owned by Germany, has already been sent to Ukraine. And American President Joe Biden promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that Washington would also provide Ukraine with advanced air systems as soon as possible to defend itself against Russian missiles.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine: “Since yesterday (no – Tuesday), the enemy has used more than 100 cruise missiles and dozens of different drones, including the Iranian ‘Shahed’. And every ten minutes I get a message about the enemy’s use of these Iranian ‘Shahed'”.

The destruction and loss of life would have been much greater had the Ukrainians not intercepted more than half of the projectiles. Placed in the field, a few Kiev soldiers even managed to intercept a cruise missile using a portable anti-aircraft system of the Igla type, a very difficult maneuver.

Zelensky again asks the West for weapons

Volodymyr Zelensky: “Support for the defense of Ukraine will be discussed in a ‘Ramstein’ format.” I expect progress from our partners on the issue of anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, agreements on new supplies of other weapons and ammunition that we need.”

In the discussion he had with the G7 leaders on Tuesday, President Zelenski once again called for Russia to be declared a terrorist state and also talked about the need for new sanctions. The Secretary General of NATO declared once again that the Alliance will stand by Kyiv.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO: “Putin is failing in Ukraine. The attempted annexation, partial mobilization and reckless nuclear rhetoric represent the most significant escalation since the beginning of the war.”

Stoltenberg also says NATO allies will increase security around key facilities after the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.

Meanwhile, in the cities liberated by Ukrainians from Russian occupation, more and more evidence of terrible war crimes continues to be discovered. Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s Office announced yesterday that it had exhumed the bodies of 78 civilians from two towns in eastern Donetsk region.

About 110 graves have been counted so far in Lîman alone. Whole families, including children, were buried here.