Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict four years on.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a deadly Russian aerial assault on Ukraine, continued Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, and the risk of a strong El Niño system.

73 Missiles, 656 Drones

Russia launched a massive overnight aerial operation against Ukraine on Tuesday, marking Moscow’s third heavy assault in less than a month. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces fired 73 missiles and 656 drones at Kyiv and other major cities, killing at least 22 people, including several children, and injuring nearly 140 others. The strikes, which reportedly damaged civilian and energy infrastructure, also forced more than 40,000 residents to shelter in Kyiv’s subway system—the largest number of people to do so in recent years.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a deadly Russian aerial assault on Ukraine, continued Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, and the risk of a strong El Niño system.

73 Missiles, 656 Drones

Russia launched a massive overnight aerial operation against Ukraine on Tuesday, marking Moscow’s third heavy assault in less than a month. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian forces fired 73 missiles and 656 drones at Kyiv and other major cities, killing at least 22 people, including several children, and injuring nearly 140 others. The strikes, which reportedly damaged civilian and energy infrastructure, also forced more than 40,000 residents to shelter in Kyiv’s subway system—the largest number of people to do so in recent years.

Experts called Tuesday’s attack one of the most advertised bombardments of the war so far. On May 22, the Kremlin accused Kyiv of carrying out a drone strike on a college dormitory in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region of Ukraine, killing 21 people. Although Kyiv denied responsibility for the incident, Moscow vowed to launch sweeping attacks on “decision-making centers” in Kyiv in response, warning that the retaliation would be so fierce that diplomats and foreign citizens should flee the city.

The May 22 drone attack gave the war “a whole new dimension,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov adding that “systematic........

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