Putin Allies Demand More Attacks On Ukraine—But Russia May Not Have Enough Missiles

Topline

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s allies claimed Monday’s deadly attack on Ukrainian cities were just the “first episode,” as they call for more indiscriminate attacks—but questions have emerged about Moscow’s dwindling stock of hard-to-replace, precision-guided weapons as Ukrainian forces continue to press forward on the battlefield.

Key Facts

News Peg

The U.K.’s defense ministry warned Tuesday of increasing discord and factionalism within Russia’s defense ministry and military leadership. The assessment said the appointment of General Sergei Surovikin as the commander of Ukraine’s invasion is a likely effort to tackle the friction and improve its operations in Ukraine. But the assessment notes that Surovikin himself will have to deal with factions within the Russian defense ministry “which is poorly resourced to achieve the political objectives it has been set in Ukraine.” Recently, the Guardian reported on internal opposition to Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu as he faces blame for the floundering campaign in Ukraine. Opposition to Shoigu is reportedly being led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner private military group—whose paid mercenaries are fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine—and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov—whose militiamen are also operating on the side of the Russians.

Chief Critic

Following Monday’s attacks, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said: “No, Putin was not “provoked” to unleash missile terror by “Crimea Bridge.” Russia had been constantly hitting Ukraine with missiles before the bridge, too. Putin is desperate because of battlefield defeats and uses missile terror to try to change the pace of war in his favor.”

Key Background

Russia’s latest attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine were in retaliation to a blast that destroyed a portion of the bridge connecting Crimea and Russia on Saturday. Putin—for whom the bridge was a marquee project and a sign of Russian power over the annexed peninsula—blamed Ukraine for the blast and called it an “act of terrorism.” Despite strongly implying its involvement Kyiv has not officially taken responsibility for the attack. Monday’s strikes were seen as a major escalation by Russia and prompted criticism both from Kyiv and the West. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated support for Ukraine following the “horrific strikes.” While Moscow’s actions received unexpected pushback from both China and India—which have previously avoided directly criticizing Russia’s invasion—with Beijing calling for de-escalation and New Delhi expressing concern about the deaths of civilians.

Further Reading

Russian Missile Strikes Across Kyiv Kill 19 After Putin Blames Ukraine For Crimea Bridge Attack (Forbes)