Russia launches missile strike on Kyiv just before G7 summit... Air raids resume after 3 weeks

Show of Force to the West Ahead of G7 Summit
Ukraine Emphasizes "Sanctions Should Also Target Russian Gas Imports"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russia launched a massive missile strike on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, timed to coincide with the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Germany. This strike, resumed after three weeks, is widely analyzed as a show of military force in response to the West's intensified sanctions against Russia. As Ukraine demands that the West designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and impose sanctions on Russian gas imports, the controversy over strengthening sanctions against Russia is expected to escalate further.

According to the Associated Press (AP) on the 26th (local time), Russian forces carried out a missile bombardment on Kyiv for the first time in three weeks since the 5th. The strike destroyed residential areas and kindergarten buildings, resulting in one death and six injuries. Vitali Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, stated at a press conference, "More than 220 apartments were destroyed by Russia's missile attacks," adding, "Considering the timing of the attack, there must be symbolic reasons."

On the same day, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian bombers in the southern Astrakhan region near the Caspian Sea are estimated to have launched 4 to 6 long-range missiles. It added that some of these were shot down by Ukraine's air defense system.

The dominant analysis is that the reason Russian forces recently attacked major northern Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Kharkiv, where fighting had subsided, was to send a message in light of the G7 summit. The New York Times (NYT) pointed out, "Russia's new missile attack on Kyiv after several weeks is a clear challenge to the world's largest democracy summit held that day and a new measure to isolate Russia."

Ukraine is demanding that the West strengthen sanctions against Russia and designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, emphasized on his Twitter, "While we appreciate the G7's decision to ban Russian gold imports, gas must also be included in the new European Union (EU) sanctions," adding, "A naval convoy from a third country lifting the blockade of our ports is the most practical response to the food crisis, and designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism is absolutely necessary."

Meanwhile, Russian forces captured Severodonetsk, a key stronghold in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, the day before, and pressured Ukraine and the West further by suggesting the possibility of providing nuclear weapons to Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg the previous day, stated, "We will transfer the Iskander-M tactical missile system, which can be used with ballistic or cruise missiles, to Belarus within the next few months," adding, "This system can be used with conventional ballistic missiles as well as nuclear missiles."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.