RUSSIA LAUNCHES ‘MASSIVE OVERNIGHT PRECISION STRIKE ON UKRAINE’

Russia’s Defense Ministry issued a statement July 6 reporting that a “massive overnight precision strike” had been launched against Ukraine, TASS reported.

“Last night, in retaliation to the Kiev regime’s terrorist attacks on Russian territory, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a massive strike by ground-based, airborne and seaborne long-range precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles on military-industrial enterprises, fuel and energy sites in Kiev and the Kiev Region, and also the infrastructure of military airfields in the Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Cherkassy, Chernigov and Kiev Regions,” the ministry said in a statement.

The massive bombardment of Kiev was the third one since Moscow’s warning in May that it would make “consistent and systemic strikes at enterprises of the Ukrainian defense industry in Kiev,” to stop Kiev’s ability to attack civilian targets in Russia. As with the bombing the night of July 1-2, the Russian Ministry of Defense published a list of last night’s targets. Among the ones in Kiev were the drone-maker Abris PT; other companies that make UAV (drone) components, armor, and USV (marine drones); and the electronics and guidance-system plant Kvant.

A strike on the Vizar factory in Kiev Region, which makes and services missiles and long-range UAVs, led to a spectacular secondary detonation that sent projectiles into the air, which then fell back to the ground and touched off fires. City and regional authorities reported that at least 22 civilians were killed in the strikes.

Russia appears to be intent on demonstrating, on the eve of the July 7-8 NATO summit, that Ukraine is on a fast track to losing the war. Strategic analyst Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, in an early July article had argued that “the Russian side hasn’t abandoned the view that, unlike a completely hopeless Western Europe, Washington can still play a useful role. That’s correct, but first, the White House must be brought back to the realization that a military victory for Russia’s opponents is impossible. Otherwise, any ‘spirit’ of Anchorage will remain nothing more than a hollow phrase.”

Ukraine’s acting president Volodymyr Zelensky had warned July 5 that a major strike by Russia was expected, according to press accounts. “Intelligence once again indicates that the Russians are preparing a new massive strike. This is typical of Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO Summit in Ankara.”

After the attack, Zelensky insisted that the NATO meeting has to come up with increased Patriot and other missile support for Ukraine. With not one of the 29 Russian ballistic missiles fired last night at Kiev targets brought down, Zelensky is demanding that European NATO countries hand over to Ukraine their supplies of PAC-3 interceptors for the Patriot anti-missile system.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired more than 700 drones into Russia in the past 24 hours, a great majority of which were brought down. There were reportedly hits, however, on energy facilities in Crimea and tanker ships in the Sea of Azov.

A Ukrainian drone set fire to the oil refinery in Omsk, central Siberia, located 2500 km away from the nearest border with Ukraine. There is speculation, however, that the launch may have been done from a truck stationed within Russia or Kazakhstan.