Kremlin wants Russians to think big attacks on Ukraine are a ‘victory,’ says Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy explained the increase in the number of strikes by the Russian Federation against Ukraine since the beginning of May (Photo:Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)
The Kremlin wants to convince the Russian public that the growing number of Russian overnight attacks on Ukrainian cities in May represents a victory in Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Zelenskyy was speaking during at a joint press conference with the president of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv on May 9.
"What we have and observe now – the growing number of air attacks – in my personal opinion, means that the Russian military and political leadership lacks something that it can ‘present’ to its public,” the Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the Ukrainian president as saying.
“This is because they don't have any victories, but they do have an insatiable society. We can see how (Russian society) supports any radical moves or any number of murders (by the Russian army). They are always happy with that."
The Kremlin failed to deliver "victory in Bakhmut" to the Russian people, as its army failed to seize the city, Zelenskyy added.
Russia has intensified air strikes on Ukraine since the beginning of May. The Russian military has been firing missiles and Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones at towns and cities across the country during the night.
The enemy has also intensified attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, having conducted five strikes on the capital in the first nine days of the month of May alone.
Russia attacked Ukraine and Kyiv with Shahed suicide drones overnight on May 8. All 35 UAVs launched by Russia were intercepted, including 30 over Kyiv alone. Five people in the capital were injured by falling debris from intercepted drones, which fell on a residential building, streets and the runaway of Kyiv’s Zhuliany international airport.
The enemy launched Kh-22 missiles on Odesa Oblast and injured three people. One more person is missing.
Kyiv also came under a missile attack in the early hours of May 9.
Around 15 cruise missiles were shot down by the capital's air defenses.
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