The situation at a glance: Russia is massively attacking Ukraine with missiles

The Russian military has launched a massive airstrike on targets in Ukraine. Several explosions triggered by anti-aircraft defenses were heard in the Ukrainian capital Kiev this morning. According to authorities, two residential buildings caught fire.

Explosions were also reported in Zaporizhia, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and Odessa. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, dozens of cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were fired at targets across the country, including by strategic bombers. Dozens of combat drones had previously been used by Russia.

Power was shut off in several areas as a precautionary measure to prevent possible overloading of the grid if energy facilities were hit. The responsible minister, Herman Halushchenko, reported on Facebook about a massive attack on Ukraine’s energy system.

The Ukrainian armed forces face a huge task in the coming days and weeks. While a counter-offensive by Moscow is looming in the western Russian region of Kursk, which is occupied by Ukrainians, the Ukrainian soldiers in the east of their country on the edge of the Donbass are having to accept further setbacks in the form of territorial losses.

Report: North Korea delivers heavy artillery to Russia

In addition to thousands of soldiers, North Korea has now provided its ally Russia with the heaviest artillery pieces to fight against Ukraine, according to a media report. In the past few weeks, almost 50 heavy self-propelled howitzers from North Korean production as well as almost 20 multiple rocket launchers have arrived in Russia, as the “Financial Times” reported, citing reliable sources. North Korea’s longest-range guns have now arrived near Kursk to support the Russian counteroffensive against invading Ukrainian units. The “Koksan” howitzers, which were spotted at a Russian train station a few days ago, have a range of up to 50 kilometers.

According to Western and Ukrainian military experts, Russia has already assembled almost 50,000 soldiers for the counteroffensive near Kursk, including over 10,000 North Korean fighters. They were recently further trained in Russia and equipped with Russian uniforms and weapons. Near Kursk, the Russian military wants to retake territory that Ukrainian troops have held since the summer after a surprise advance across the border.

Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for almost 1,000 days and occupies almost 20 percent of the neighboring country’s territory. These territorial gains came at the price of sometimes heavy losses in soldiers and weapon systems. Moscow has recently received massive support from North Korea.

Zelensky defends withdrawal strategy in the east

Under massive pressure from the Russian army, Ukrainian troops have to slowly withdraw near Kurakhove in eastern Ukraine. In a radio interview, President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to shed positive light on the withdrawal tactics. “There are guys at the front who need to be relieved in order to recover,” he said. “But the other brigades that are supposed to move up are not fully equipped – should they now be thrown to the front to be slaughtered like the Russians are doing?” This is impossible.

But the soldiers in the front lines are under heavy pressure and urgently need rest after the hail of bombs and shells. “They then ask whether they can withdraw, the military leadership allows that,” said Zelensky, explaining the withdrawals. “Because our position is clear – people come first, then the country.”

Institute for War Studies analyzes the frontline situation

The Institute for War Studies, based in the US capital Washington, has analyzed the current front-line situation in Ukraine and confirmed that both warring parties are in poor positions. The institute representative responsible for the region, George Barros, confirmed that Russian troops had made successful advances in eastern Ukraine, preventing counterattacks by the Ukrainians. “You lose wars when you’re constantly on the defensive,” he told US broadcaster CNN. You get pinned in a corner and then only have a menu of poor options.

However, Barros also confirmed the Russian military’s inefficiency. Since the beginning of the year, the Russian army has only advanced almost 40 kilometers in eastern Ukraine, and that at high cost in soldiers and material. According to calculations by its institute near Pokrovsk, Moscow lost approximately the equivalent of five armored divisions, i.e. hundreds of tanks and armored personnel carriers. “To lose five divisions of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in one year and only advance 40 kilometers, you have to use the major battles of the 21st century as a comparison, and possibly also the major battles of the Second World War,” said Barros. “This is just a really bad performance.”