Russia Hits Kyiv with Missile Strike as War Continues in Ukraine

What Happened?

Yesterday, Russia launched a sizeable missile and drone attack against Kyiv, killing nine and wounding at least sixty in Ukraine’s capital city. Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, returned early from a trip to South Africa in response to the Russian attack. 

‘Kyiv hasn’t heard terror this loud in a long time,’ Ukrainian lawmaker, Inna Sovsun, wrote on X during the attack. The Trump Administration has given mixed signals since the attack, with President Trump saying Russia is ready to make a permanent peace deal. Just after Vice-President Vance said the U.S. is ready to walk away from the entire peace process because of Russian unwillingness to end the war.

Why it Matters

The White House’s mixed response is due at least in part to the conflicting signals being sent by Russia. Sending mixed messages on Ukraine is likely part of Russia’s strategy to try to move negotiations and battlefield progress forward at the same time. That’s why Mr. Putin has tried to convince Mr. Trump he is serious about ending the war, even as Russian military forces continue to pummel Ukraine. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President, Zelensky, has refused to recognize Crimea’s annexation by Russia which added another sticking point to the peace negotiations. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 through a combination of force and propaganda, violating an agreement that was made with Ukraine when it became an independent country in 1991. 

Though Ukraine’s population is war weary, the attack on Kyiv will likely increase popular support for President Zelensky and further increase the resolve of Ukrainians not to cede territory to Russia. The war has had a profound effect on the public opinion in Ukraine. Prior to 2014, less than a quarter of Ukrainians supported joining NATO; now over three-quarters of Ukrainians are in favor of becoming a NATO member. 

With no viable peace plan on the table that is agreeable to both Ukraine and Russia, it is likely that the war will continue for the foreseeable future. Russian public opinion continues to be mostly indifferent to the war in Ukraine, and with North Korea providing enormous quantities of arms and ammunition, Russian forces are well-positioned to continue hostilities.

There is an old saying in the military, ‘amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.’ Though continued supplies from the United States are in doubt, Europe has pledged to increase the number of arms and ammunition flowing to Ukraine. Since Russia and Ukraine have secure supply lines, both will be able to sustain combat operations for months if not years.

How it Affects You

The continued fighting is a blow to the Trump Administration’s goal of bringing a quick end to the war in Ukraine. If the war continues for another year, the risk of the conflict spreading will be ever present. Thus far NATO and Russian forces have avoided any direct exchanges of fire, but that could change quickly in a prolonged conflict.