Ukraine Says Russian Speculation It Was Behind Attack Are Meant to Rally War Support
New York TimesMar 23
Ukraine Reports 'Massive' Russian Air Attack Over Kyiv
The Facts
Russia reportedly attacked Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, and the western city of Lviv with 29 cruise missiles and 28 drones early on Sunday. According to the head of Kyiv's military administration, Sergiy Popko, Ukrainian air defenses destroyed over a dozen missiles, and the damage had been minor.
Ukraine claims Moscow launched the cruise missiles from Tu-95MS strategic bombers stationed at the Olenya airbase, some 1.8K km north of Russia's border with Ukraine. It alleged that the missiles were of the Kh-101/Kh-555 types.
The Spin
Anti-Russia narrative
Russia, which has no regard for the millions of Ukrainian civilians, is looking for excuses to step up the war. Linking Ukraine to the assault in the Crocus City Hall attack is simply aimed at stoking fervor for the Kremlin's failure. Putin has sent hundreds of thousands of terrorists to fight and be killed in the war in Ukraine. It's time they turned their back on their brutal Russian masters.
Pro-Russia narrative
While the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Friday's rampage and Kyiv denies it had anything to do with it, there are clear signs of a Ukrainian link to the barbaric terrorist act on innocent people. Putin will justly and inevitably punish the perpetrators and organizers of the massacre. If they turn out to be the Kyiv regime, Russia won't deal with them and their ideological inspirations any differently.
Nerd narrative
There's a 7% chance that there will be a bilateral cease-fire or peace agreement in the Russo-Ukraine conflict in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.