Ukraine war: Russian missile hits playground
A Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile with cluster munitions hit the centre of a residential area in the Ukrainian town of Kriviy Rih, killing 20 people, including nine children and young people on Friday evening. Seventy-five more were injured. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk spoke of the deadliest strike against children since the start of the Ukraine war. What does Russia's military hope to achieve with such attacks?
Cynical bid to stoke desire for revenge
Ex-oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky explains in a Telegram post published by Echo what Moscow hoped to achieve with this attack:
“This cynical and brutal provocation was aimed at forcing the Ukrainian leadership to choose between abandoning its push of a ceasefire and accepting a dip in popularity. People want revenge after attacks like this. Revenge means: assuming the responsibility for breaking off negotiations - which means the suspension of American supplies ahead of a potential summer offensive. We saw the consequences of such an interruption a year ago. ... And Zelensky will pay with a chunk of his popularity if he refuses to take revenge.”
Terror against Zelensky
Military analyst Oleksiy Kopytko writes in a Facebook post published in 24tv.ua:
“The only way to view Russia's almost daily attacks on Kryvyi Rih is as Vladimir Putin's personal terror against Volodymyr Zelensky. These attacks serve no military objective. There is only one goal - to break Zelensky personally, because this is his hometown. ... Anyone talking about the need for a 'return of Russia' - to football, opera, the economy, political dialogue, etc. - should be encouraged to soberly assess the consequences. You want the 'return' of terrorists who kill children with missiles and drones in sandpits, on swings, in their beds. ... You are thus reinforcing the role model of a terrorist state.”