Ukraine was hit by Russian missiles on Friday, May 26, 2023, the day after the West announced that it would provide Ukraine with tanks and other heavy weapons. The strikes hit several cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, and killed at least 23 people.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the strikes were targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure, but Ukrainian officials said that they hit civilian targets, including apartment buildings and schools.
The strikes came as the West is increasing its military support for Ukraine. On Thursday, the United States announced that it would provide Ukraine with 18 M1 Abrams tanks and 200 M777 howitzers. The United Kingdom also announced that it would provide Ukraine with 120 armored fighting vehicles.
The Russian strikes are a sign that Russia is determined to continue its war in Ukraine, despite the increasing military support that Ukraine is receiving from the West. The strikes are also a reminder that the war is having a devastating impact on the civilian population of Ukraine.
The United Nations estimates that over 10 million people have been displaced within Ukraine since the start of the war, and over 5 million people have fled the country. The war has also caused a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people in need of food, water, and shelter.
The West has condemned the Russian strikes and called on Russia to end its war in Ukraine. The United States has also imposed new sanctions on Russia in response to the strikes.
The war in Ukraine is a major crisis that is having a devastating impact on the country and its people. The West must continue to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and it must work to end the war as soon as possible.