In one of the frequent irresponsible actions in the ongoing conflict, Ukraine declared it had intercepted a Russian missile attack aimed at Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities asserted that the air defenses were employed to shoot down and destroy missiles that targeted the city, thus, minimizing the harm and loss of lives on this occasion. The attack on the capital of Kyiv shows that the war is still ongoing and Russia’s desire to demoralize and diminish the strength of Ukraine with air raids.
At the break of dawn, the noise of alarm ringing through the city and Kyiv’s citizens hurrying to take cover. In moments, Ukrainian air defense forces were concerned with the missile threat. In the reports from Ukraine’s military, most of the missiles were shot down before reaching the targets. No loss of life was reported although, some structures received minor effects from the resulting drops. Ukrainian officials stressed that the reaction of their air-defense systems was extremely effective in preventing the scale of devastation arising from the strike.
The missile attack in Kyiv takes place at a moment of highly tense fighting between the Ukrainian army and the Russian forces, which is unlikely to stop soon. Kyiv is Ukraine’s capital city and centres of political and symbolic power, which means the city has been targeted by Russia’s missile and drone attacks throughout the war. Most of these attacks have been targeted on Ukraine’s military and its resources; however, they are also an assertion of Russia’s intent to exert pressure on the Ukrainian leadership and the ordinary people.
Determination of the possibility of Ukraine to counteract missile strikes is defined by the growth of the latter’s air defense system. In the last one year, Ukraine has been receiving military support from the western countries, equipment such as anti-missile systems that have boosted their defence against Russia’s air strikes. That some of these missiles were intercepted during this last attack again proves the efficiency of such systems notwithstanding the on-going efforts by Ukraine to get more support in fending off a highly endowed enemy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a statement after the attack commended and thanked the defense forces in the country for their alertness and prowess in defending Kyiv. He recalled Ukraine’s further determination to continue standing up to the Russian invasion, even as the country remains a target of missile attacks and other forms of military intimidation. Zelensky also urged his western counterparts to continue providing aid, especially in the form of air defense systems that would help Ukraine’s cities to defend themselves.
Although Ukrainian air defenses have been rather successful at repelling missile attacks, the constant threat of such strikes has affected the morale of the Ukrainian civilian population. The constant threat of air raids, combined with the psychological stress that previous missile and drone attacks induced in a population is still up for debate, but the results from the citizens of Ukraine suggest that there is a prevailing notion of insecurity. Citizens of Kyiv and other large cities have had to get used to a number of changes, the use of air raid signals and evacuation to shelters.
Ever since the start of the war, Russia has been launching missile attacks on Ukraine with hits on military facilities and important infrastructure, including power stations, transport networks, and water treatment centres. This seems to be Moscow’s long-term plan that will disable Ukraine’s capacity to continue the conflict while aggravating civilian suffering. At the same time, it would be pertinent to mention that Ukraine has been hit with continuous adversities and yet it has proved quite sturdy in its spirit and comes forward with sturdy determination to rise up from the ruins and continue their journey.
Successfully, the missile attack from Russia on Ukraine has triggered condemnations from the global community, much of the western world is feeding Ukraine, supplying humanitarian aid and military equipment to enable the country to defend itself. The most recent attack on Kyiv via missile strikes will likely polarise the demand for more support, especially in the form of air defense systems given the continuous targeting of civilians by Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia has not stopped excusing its military operations in Ukraine stating that its missile attacks are on legal military objectives. However, the extensive destruction of civil property and thus the innocent people’s lives due to these devastating attacks brought many violations of international law and war criminals’ allegations. In this case, Russian continues to escalate its military attack on Ukraine regardless of the sanctions imposed by the international community and the diplomatic pressure exerted on Moscow, making many people hold the opinion that the war may go for decades.
Thus, the example of the Ukrainian people’s ability to effectively counter the Russian missile attack on Kyiv can be considered as quite a strong, recent signal of the developing Ukraine’s defense potentials and the population’s strong perseverance to resist. But the capability for missile strikes remains and, therefore, the risks that Ukraine encounters in its struggle for existence are also staying.
There is still crucial importance in requiring powerful intergovernmental assistance, especially the enhancement of Ukraine’s air defense systems, as the war continues. Thus, although Ukraine triumphs in its new battle of stopping a major assault, vast costs of the warfare are still to be paid by both military and non-combatants.
