Recently, a war that shook the world spread in Ukraine, and Russia retaliated with a large-scale aerial strike. Missile and drone strikes have covered almost the entire territory of Ukraine, and important cities such as Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Kyiv, Kharkiv and other places have been cut off from electricity**. The commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that critical infrastructure and military facilities had suffered serious blows, while the Ukrainian Air Force monitored the involvement of 18 Russian bombers in this devastating operation.
The incident was apparently a response to Ukraine's previous strikes on Russia's naval assets in Crimea and retaliation after Ukraine shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter jet in December. The scale of the Russian strike was enormous, with at least 160 missiles and drones used. The United States condemned Russia for the first time, and Secretary of State Blinken said that the United States must support Ukraine in the event that Putin continues the war, and Congress needs to act in the new year. Earlier, the US Congress proposed a $60 billion military aid bill for Ukraine, but it was not passed.
Due to the possible incursion of Russian missiles into Polish airspace within 3 minutes, Poland **Duda held an emergency meeting with *** Bureau. As a member of NATO, Poland has been vigilant in the face of a missile invasion, but the West seems reluctant to allow Poland to overplay the message because NATO does not intend to confront Russia directly. Poland would be disastrous if it were to confront Russia.
Ukraine's Zelensky urged the world to respond, while the United States' Biden stressed that the attack reminded the world that Putin's goals have not changed and that he must be stopped. It is worth noting that despite the greater harm done by Israel to civilians in Gaza, the West seems to have turned a blind eye to this, and the United States has only expressed concern rather than condemnation. British Defense Minister Schappes announced that the UK will provide hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, showing Britain's active participation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and also reflecting its quest for influence in Europe.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Ihnat revealed that the Russian army's large-scale bombing campaign used a variety of air**, including "Dagger" missiles, ballistic missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, cruise missiles and drones. "We've never seen so many targets at the same time on the monitor," he said. "Russia dispatched 18 strategic bombers, nine of which are suspected to be Tu-22M3 bombers. Winter has arrived, and Russia's bombing campaign may kick off the winter bombardment, especially considering Ukraine's recent strikes on the Russian army.
In this war in Ukraine, Russia's stockpiles show that they have the ability to bomb on a massive scale for a month. If Russia used to bomb energy facilities in Ukraine once a week, Ukraine would face a catastrophe. However, European and American support for Ukraine is almost exhausted, with both 20 billion euros and $60 billion in aid failing to pass. Against this backdrop, Europe and the United States can only face two choices: peace talks with Russia or increased aid, but this will further drain European and American resources.
It is worth noting that Ukraine's previous decision to bomb Crimea triggered an escalating Russian counterattack. Ukraine may be trying to attract the attention of the West because they have failed to make progress in the ground war. However, this approach backfired, and Zelensky knew that the bombing of Crimea would provoke retaliation, with limited impact on the Ukrainian authorities, but great on civilians.
This war is a war that Russia cannot afford to lose. Although Russia has fought enough to pull its hips, if Ukraine cannot continue to support it, Russia's military plans may change. Russia views Ukraine as a traditional territory of power and does not want to see it join the European Union and NATO. The essence of this conflict is not only a turf grab, but also a geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the United States, as well as Russia's strategic calculations to prevent NATO's eastward expansion.
In this chaotic and sudden war, the positions and actions of all parties are full of inconsistencies. The international community needs to respond cautiously to avoid further escalation. Ukraine's appeal has been answered, but the fatigue of European and American support also reveals a real dilemma. At this time of change, countries around the world need to remain calm and work together to find ways to de-escalate and reconcile.