Putin the Monster: Russia Is Slamming Ukraine with Missile Strikes

Russia Celebrates Victory Day With Fresh Strikes on Ukraine – Russian forces fired more cruise missiles at Kyiv on Tuesday, the same day the country celebrated Victory Day with a scaled-back parade on Moscow’s Red Square.

Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday that air defenses intercepted 15 Russian cruise missiles that were launched at the nation’s capital overnight. A total of 23 out of 25 missiles launched at cities across the country were taken down by Ukrainian air defense systems. There were no reported injuries caused by the attempted strikes.

Ukrainian military general Serhiy Popko said that the missiles were understood to have been launched by four Russian bombers flying over the Caspian Sea.

Writing on Telegram, the senior Ukrainian official said that Russian forces were attempting to “kill as many civilians as possible” on May 9, an attack that would complement Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated claims that his military is fighting a new iteration of “Nazis” embedded in the Ukrainian government.

News of Russian cruise missiles being intercepted by Ukrainian air defense systems is by no means new, however, and the sheer number of wasted Russian missiles directed at Ukrainian cities could suggest that Moscow’s attacks on Kyiv are more symbolic than anything.

Much like the recent attempted drone strikes on the Kremlin in Moscow were thwarted, attempted Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital are almost always met with powerful air defense.

With advanced Western weapons protecting the city and Russia still struggling to replenish its missile and ammunition stocks, Moscow’s repeated decision to bombard Kyiv with drones and missiles in recent weeks – all of which have failed – raises questions about Russia’s intentions.

Scaled Back Celebrations

Russia’s annual Victory Day parade was noticeably scaled back this year. The Russian president appeared in the famous Red Square in Moscow to address more than 10,000 Russian people and 125 weapons and pieces of military hardware. It was somewhat smaller than last year’s 11,000 guests and 131 pieces of military hardware, as well as an airshow that included 77 helicopters and fighter jets.

Russia’s first Victory Day parade was held on June 24, 1945, and saw more than 40,000 Red Army soldiers marching on the streets accompanied by 1,850 military vehicles.

In a 10-minute speech on Tuesday, the Russian president praised the work of the Russian military and rallied attendees against “Western global elites” who have put civilization at a “decisive turning point.”

Putin also defended his war in Ukraine, claiming that a war had been unleashed against Russia.

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Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive’s Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.