Russia launches new attack on Ukraine on Moscow's Victory Day

Ukrainian officials said that Russia launched a new attack on Ukraine on Tuesday (May 9), on the day of the Victory Day celebration in Moscow. No casualties were reported and officials said that Ukraine's air defences destroyed 23 of 25 missiles fired, mostly at the capital Kyiv.

The attack was said to be the fifth of this month and took place a day after massive missile strikes on Ukraine which injured at least five people.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war was halted for a period since early March, but Russia has launched its biggest drone swarm yet in a renewed air campaign unleashed 10 days ago.

Serhiy Popko, who is the head of Kyiv's city military administration, said in comments posted on the Telegram messaging app that "as at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed".

Ukraine's air force said on its Telegram messaging app that "overnight into the 'sacred' May 9, (they) launched an attack on the territory of Ukraine".

Meanwhile, Popko said Russian forces were trying "to kill as many civilians as possible on this day" and the attack was reportedly carried out with cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea region.

Popko said that "Kyiv stood up again and will stand up in the future!"

Victory Day celebrations

Reports emerged that during the Victory Day celebrations, Russian cruise missiles exploded in the air over Kyiv. During the Victory Day parade in Moscow's Red Square, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the world is at a "turning point", and a "war" was unleashed on Russia.

"Today civilisation is again at a decisive turning point. A war has been unleashed against our motherland," the Russian president said, further calling for Russia to be victorious: "For Russia, for our armed forces, for victory! Hurrah!"

Developments show that Moscow is looking forward to escalating the offence but they suffered a minor setback when Russia's mercenary Wagner forces said they didn't receive enough weapons to hold the positions.

The battle of Bakhmut has been intensified and Wagner forces have borne the brunt of the deadly fighting, but the head of the mercenary group had threatened to pull out from the position but later he changed the stance.

Now, the head of the group said that they have yet to receive the ammunition promised by Moscow — taking a U-turn from his recent comment that supplies had begun to arrive.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is also expected to launch a counteroffensive in the east and south.

(With inputs from agencies)

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