What Russia wants to achieve with missile strikes on Kyiv: an expert explained Putin's plan

On the morning of May 9, Kyiv experienced another mass rocket attack by the Russians. As reported in KMVA, according to preliminary information, about one and a half dozen enemy air targets were detected and destroyed in the airspace around Kyiv. No hits were recorded in the city. This is already the 5th enemy attack on the capital since the beginning of May. The Russians attacked the city on May 8 with drones, and today they hit it with missiles.

The TSN.ua asked experts why the enemy fires missiles at the city, when almost all of its drones and missiles are shot down by our anti-aircraft defense.

"This is already the fifth air attack on Kyiv since the beginning of May, with the maximum density and power of the attack specifically on May 9th. This is a manifestation of the true "victory frenzy" culture - to create a sacred date for oneself from the day of the end of the Second World War and attempt to kill as many civilians as possible on this day," said Serhiy Popko, the Head of the Kyiv Military Civil Administration (KMVA).

In the Holosiivskyi district, debris from a cruise missile fell onto the territory of a private sector, ruining people's strawberry beds. This is the only thing the enemy managed to destroy in Kyiv.

In the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, they specify that not all 15 missiles were shot down over Kyiv.

"This morning, the occupiers launched 17 cruise missiles of the X-101/X-555 airbase from strategic aviation aircraft - four Tu-95MS (in the Caspian region). One missile was shot down by the "South" Command in the Kherson region.

14 cruise missiles were destroyed by the forces and means of air defense of the Center Air Command. This happened in Kyiv region and neighboring regions, not only in Kyiv. A total of 15 X-101/X-555 cruise missiles were destroyed," said Yuriy Ignat, Spokesman for the Air Force of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, to TSN.ua.

A destroyed house and a crater

In the Kyiv region, people are still collecting the "harvest" from the downed enemy cruise missiles.

"The missiles were shot down by air defense forces in several areas of the region. Police officers are documenting and examining the debris of enemy ordnance. One missile was found in the middle of a field - it left a crater with a diameter of 7-8 meters and a depth of 2.5 meters. Another missile was found in a forest strip. Yet another missile caused serious damage to a residential private house in one of the districts of the Kyiv region. The walls and roof of the building were damaged, but no one was injured," the Kyiv Region Police told TSN.ua.

"Retaliation for Moscow?"

Many Ukrainians are asking the question: if our PPO forces are shooting down almost all of the enemy's drones and rockets, then why is he using them to attack Kyiv?

"I think that the Russians are attacking Kyiv with one desire - it is a response for the Kremlin, namely for the arrival of drones in Moscow two weeks ago. Several more drones fell around the Russian capital. Therefore, I think that this is a desire to take revenge - the capital for the capital. On the rest of the territory of Ukraine, the Russians launch missiles all the time," explains Oleh Zhdanov, a military expert.

He adds that the enemy's attacks are not related to celebrating May 9th.

"If they (the Russians) wanted to distinguish themselves by May 9, they would have gathered all available forces and means and struck that blow. But they didn't. The blow was not so massive. It is more like an attempt to strike at the "decision-making center " and the usual response-revenge for the drone attack on Moscow. There is no need to look for logic in the actions of the Russians. Russia is simply carrying out the political task set for them. Namely - to bring our society to chaos and panic thanks to these missile strikes. The goal is one - that people forced our leadership to negotiate with the enemy. That's why they launch missiles with drones. Yes, our air defense shoot down missiles, but they launch new ones with the hope that at least one missile will get through our air defense and cause significant destruction and change public opinion," Oleh Zhdanov explains.

There will be new attacks

The expert says that we should expect new enemy attacks.

"I think that there will be new attacks from the occupiers. In the coming week, the situation is unlikely to change. And in general, if the Russians have enough forces and means, they can strike with missiles and "shaheds" on Kiev and Ukraine before the start of our counteroffensive. These strikes can be constant or attack every other day. Their goal is the same - to force us not to go on a counteroffensive," says Oleh Zhdanov.

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