Putin Attacks Multiple Ukrainian Cities During G-20

Russian Revenge Attack

Vladimir Putin has been known to strike out in anger and launch attacks against civilian targets following military setbacks in Ukraine. It appears he has done it again. According to The New York Times (NYT), Russia fired multiple missiles across Ukraine earlier this week. They caused damage in at least four cities, including the capital of Kyiv, where two residential buildings were struck. Reports on the Telegram social messaging app tell of strikes in Kharkiv, Lviv, and the city of Khmelnytskyi as well. In addition, at least four missiles were shot down over Kyiv.

Zelensky Addresses G-20

Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed the G20 Summit of world leaders, calling for Russia’s war against them to end. He stated,

“I want this aggressive Russian war to end justly and on the basis of the UN charter and international law. Ukraine should not be offered to conclude compromises with its conscience, sovereignty, territory, and independence. We respect the rules, and we are people of our word; Ukraine has always been a leader in peacekeeping efforts, and the world has witnessed it. And if Russia says that it supposedly wants to end this war, let it prove it with actions. Apparently, one cannot trust Russia’s words.”

Kyiv is, of course, well acquainted with the proclivities and past actions of Putin and feared there would be a widespread strike on their nation on November 15th or 16th as the G-20 meets in Bali without him. Officials in the Ukrainian Air Force were quoted in CRUX as saying that he “prefers to carry out some kind of provocations around such days.” Add to it the fact that his forces have been forced to leave Kherson, and the attacks were almost a forgone conclusion.

Andriy Yermak is a close advisor to President Zelensky. Earlier in the day, he took to Twitter to express his thoughts. He clearly thinks the Kremlin wants obedience over peace, he wrote, calling the Russians “terrorists.” 

Russia responds to @ZelenskyyUa's powerful speech at #G20 with a new missile attack. Does anyone seriously think that the Kremlin really wants peace? It wants obedience. But at the end of the day, terrorists always lose.

— Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) November 15, 2022

It was a little over a month ago, on October 10th, that Russia sent swarms of drones over 10 Ukrainian cities to terrorize the citizens and chip away at the embattled country’s infrastructure. Earlier this week, the Ukrainian Air Force warned that Moscow seemed to be stockpiling missiles for future attacks. Many of these “new,” old, actually, missiles were sourced from their strengthening alliance with Iran.

Just an hour ago, President Zenensky took to Telegram to share that 85 missiles have been launched against his country thus far today, and he expects to fire at least 20 more. He warned his citizens to remain in shelters saying, “I know that the missile strikes turned off energy in many places…we are working, we will restore everything, we will survive.” Other high-ranking Ukrainian officials have backed up the President’s statement that Russia seems to be targeting the nation’s infrastructure. This is as winter is right around the corner. Power and water services seem to be the main targets.

Deputy head of the presidential administration, Kyrylo Tymoshenko,  calls the situation “critical.” Citizens are reminded that electric air raid sirens do not work during power blackouts. This is one of the reasons Zelensky has advised his people to remain in shelters for the time being.

One of the consequences of power blackouts caused by Russia’s missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure: Ukraine’s air raid sirens don’t work, as the Kyiv City State Administration points out. pic.twitter.com/lRIdaHukG8

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) November 15, 2022

Military Maneuvering

As Russia pulls its last troops out of Kherson, they also seem to be pulling military personnel and civil servants out of the city of Nova Kakhovka, a town in the central Kakhovka Raion region of Kherson Oblast. These individuals were stationed at a vast, strategic Dam on the Dnieper River. This could be viewed as a sign that the Russians are turning the power generating facility back over to its rightful owners or that it plans in the near future to destroy it with air strikes.

While discussing repositioning, Natalya Humenyuk, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, is telling Reuters that Moscow is moving artillery pieces 10 to 15 miles away from the Dnieper to protect them from enemy counterstrikes. “There is a certain activity of enemy troops on the left bank of the Dnieper in terms of moving 15-20 km away from the bank,” she said. Russian artillery is capable of shelling the city of Kherson from those positions, but without revealing too much, Humenyuk noted, “we also have something to answer with.” 

This is a developing story. SOFREP will run updates as the situation warrants.