The Kremlin has once again attempted to justify its deadly attacks on Ukrainian civilians by falsely claiming they are military targets. This time, the excuse comes after a devastating overnight assault on the Odessa region, where Russian drones struck residential areas, injuring at least one child and damaging private homes.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for the Russian dictator, declared that the attacks were a response to alleged Ukrainian strikes on Russian “social infrastructure”. Without presenting evidence, Peskov claimed these were retaliatory attacks targeting military facilities, not civilians. However, the facts on the ground paint a very different picture.
Russia launched 9 missiles and 355 drones in a massive overnight operation. Ukrainian air defences shot down all 9 missiles and neutralised 288 drones, 233 of which were intercepted and destroyed before they reached their targets. Despite these defences, some drones still managed to reach civilian homes, including those in the Odessa region.
This comes as yet another brutal chapter in Russia’s ongoing campaign of terror against Ukraine’s cities. The Kremlin has repeatedly used propaganda and blatant misinformation to cover up its crimes, claiming to strike only military targets while clearly hitting schools, homes, and hospitals.
The Kremlin’s claims are not only false but dangerous, as they seek to normalise the bombing of civilians. Russian officials continue to present a twisted narrative to justify what international observers and human rights groups have consistently described as war crimes.
Even United States president Donald Trump, known for previously expressing admiration for the Russian dictator, admitted in recent remarks that “Putin has absolutely gone crazy.” He added, “He is killing a lot of people unnecessarily, and I am not just talking about soldiers. Rockets and drones are launched into Ukrainian cities for no reason at all.”
