The Kremlin’s latest missile strikes on Ukraine were one of the worst on civilian targets in months.
Ukraine’s badly-needed air defences and missile systems are running low, despite recent influxes of western aid. But over the weekend the new UK government made a timely commitment to Ukraine’s military.
Newly-appointed Defence Secretary John Healey promised fresh artillery guns, 250,000 ammo rounds and 100 Brimstone precision missiles. Crucially, they will arrive in 100 days and not a moment too soon.
This attack, following Healey’s meeting in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky, is no coincidence. More crucially it is also timed just ahead of Tuesday’s major NATO meeting in Washington, when leaders will thrash out plans for supporting Ukraine.
The Kremlin has a long history of pointlessly timing attacks with key historical anniversaries and the political machinations of its enemies. But Russia too is running low on missiles and hitting civilian targets has no militarily strategic value, so there is no other reason for this attack.
Other than to try and dent Ukrainian morale and determination to defend against Moscow's brutality. This may demonstrate desperation, a need to make some kind of gesture albeit a futile one, against western resolve. But the reality is that it has just cost the Kremlin many millions in weapons and deepened global revulsion against Putin’s war criminal regime.