The rationale for Putin’s latest attack on Ukraine

It has long been suspected that Russia was going to mount a renewed military offensive in Ukraine as spring approached. This fear was realised overnight. From midnight to 7.a.m., Ukraine suffered one of the worst barrages of Russian bombing this year: some 81 missiles were fired at residential buildings and critical infrastructure from air, land and sea, including several hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Some 34 missiles were intercepted in total, Ukrainian authorities said. Ukraine was not able to down many, as it does not yet have the Patriot system that can intercept them. The commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, General Valeriy Zaluzhny, said eight Iranian-made drones were also launched; four were intercepted. The BBC reported that at least nine civilians have been killed.

The strikes hit ten of Ukraine’s 27 regions, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. ‘It’s been a difficult night,’ the Ukrainian president said on Telegram this morning. ‘A massive rocket attack across the country….Unfortunately,