While Kyiv was being bombarded by Russian drones for the third time in two days, early today upper middle class and wealthy neighborhoods of Moscow were hit by as many as two dozen Ukrainian-made UJ 22 drones. The UJ22s have a range of 800 kilometers, can fly for 6 hours and can carry a payload of about 20 kilos, typically grenades and mines. At least 8 of the drones were shot down or diverted by Russian defenders but some struck their targets causing light damage and non-lethal injuries. The Guardian reported that one of their correspondents spoke to a security guard based in the elite gated community in Zhukovka, near where the strikes took place. “I woke up at 6.15 from a loud explosion, and then for the next 45 minutes there were around six other booms every 10 minutes or so. It was fucked up, everyone came out on their balconies or went outside, no one understood what was happening.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called it a “terrorist attack,” which is ironic considering what Russia has been doing to Ukraine’s cities all year. [Later Putin did the same.] Most newspapers are reporting that “The primary purpose of recent Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russia appears as much psychological as anything else— an attempt to bring the war in Ukraine to the doorstep of Russians.” NY Times correspondents Ivan Nechepurenko and Anatoly Kurmanaev wrote that “American officials have in the past voiced concern that Ukrainian attacks on Russian soil could provoke Putin without having a direct effect on the battlefield— one reason that Washington has withheld from Ukraine weapons that could be used to strike deep into Russia. The reality of the war in Ukraine has largely been perceived as distant for much of the Russian public, but the attacks on Moscow could change that and possibly even threaten overall support for Mr. Putin’s handling of what the Kremlin has called the ‘special military operation.’ One worry is that attacks in Russia could serve as a pretext for Putin to escalate the war in some way, such as striking key government buildings in Kyiv and trying to decapitate the Ukrainian government.”
Russia already has tried to decapitate the Ukrainian government and has struck key government buildings… and, short of a nuclear attack, has thrown everything it has against Ukraine.
Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Thomas Grove and Ian Lovett reported that “Several drones were shot down over the Rublyovka district, which houses the city’s political and business elite, and is only miles from Putin’s official Novo-Ogaryovo residence… Videos online showed plumes of smoke over the area’s turreted estates, and photographs on social media— carried by state television— displayed blackened holes in working-class apartment buildings inside Moscow and on the outskirts of the city.”
Continued attacks inside Russia, if carried out by Ukraine, threaten to raise tensions with Washington, which has urged Kyiv not to carry out strikes on Russian soil, or potentially discourage the transfer of more advanced aid by other Western partners.
A senior German official said the drone attacks raised concerns about the potential supply of weapons such as Taurus missiles to Ukraine. Delivery of the missile system to Kyiv is currently under discussion, and the official said such a move would technically enable Ukrainian forces to be able to hit Moscow, something Germany doesn’t want to facilitate.
The violence could also change the calculus of Russia’s backers, such as China, which haven’t so far delivered large amounts of lethal aid.
In Kyiv, the overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones on residential and business centers prompted residents to scramble for cover in subway stations. Residential buildings were set ablaze in central Kyiv, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko. One person was killed and at least 13 were injured in the overnight attacks, according to Kyiv’s police.
Ukraine’s air force said 31 Iranian-made Shahed drones had been launched toward Ukraine on Monday night and early Tuesday morning, with most of them aimed at Kyiv. Twenty-nine were shot down.
Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s chief of military intelligence, said Russia’s efforts to scare Ukraine were doomed to fail and that Kyiv would respond quickly.
“All of those who have tried to frighten us, dreaming that it would bring some kind of effect, you will regret it very soon,” he said. “We won’t make you wait for our response, all will see it very soon.”
Russian social media was awash on Tuesday with pictures and videos of drones being shot from the sky over Moscow and parts of the craft lying on the ground.
“Right next to our house…We have to get out of here,” said an expletive-laden commentary in one video.
Another resident told Russian state news agency TASS that she heard an explosion before authorities rang her doorbell telling her to leave the apartment.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner paramilitary group, criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for failing to keep its citizens in the capital safe. Prigozhin has feuded with the ministry, accusing it of failing to supply his troops with artillery during their offensive on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
“You’ve done nothing to attack,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. “Why the f— have you allowed drones to fly into Moscow.”
Airports in Moscow were operating normally, but the city’s transportation authority said some streets had been closed off near Lenin Prospect, a major artery for morning rush-hour traffic in the city’s southwest.
I haven’t read War and Peace since high school but I recall that one of the themes Tolstoy hammered on was the resiliency of the Russian people during times of war, something I was thinking about this morning when I contemplated how Russian and now Ukraine hope to break the will of their populations. (Remember, that when Tolstoy wrote War and Peace, Ukraine was part of the Russian empire.) Obviously, the novel encompasses a vast range of themes and subjects but the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars serves as a central setting for the narrative. Tolstoy delves into the impact of war on society, individuals, and the collective spirit of the Russian people. Through his portrayal of various characters, he showcases the different ways in which people respond to war and the resilience they exhibit in the face of adversity. The novel explores the experiences of soldiers on the battlefield, the struggles of civilians during the French invasion of Russia, and the resilience of the Russian army and people in defending their homeland. He presented war as a transformative force that tests and reveals the true nature of individuals and society, emphasizing the strength and determination of the Russian people, their capacity for endurance, their ability to unite in the face of a common threat and the indomitable spirit of the Russian people during times of war, a theme that came up again— in real life— during the brutal Nazi invasion of Russia.
In War and Peace, Tolstoy vividly depicts the determination and resilience of the Russian soldiers during the Battle of Borodino. Despite the heavy casualties and intense fighting, the Russian army displays incredible fortitude and refuses to surrender. The soldiers demonstrate their unwavering commitment to defending their homeland.
On the homefront, the Rostov family— particularly Natasha and her mother, Countess Rostova— exhibit resilience and adaptability in the face of war. They endure the hardships and uncertainties brought by the French invasion, bravely face personal tragedies, and find ways to rebuild their lives. Despite the challenges, they maintain their spirit and continue to contribute to their community. Throughout the novel, Tolstoy emphasizes the patriotic spirit that pervades Russian society during the war. People from different walks of life come together to support the war effort, offering their resources, time, and even their lives. This collective resilience is evident in the way communities rally to rebuild, support the soldiers, and resist the occupying forces. Pierre, one of the central characters in the book, undergoes a transformation as he witnesses the horrors of war. He gains a deeper understanding of the resilience and indomitable spirit of the Russian people. Pierre becomes increasingly involved in philanthropy and works to alleviate the suffering of the wounded and displaced, embodying the resilience and compassion of his fellow countrymen.”
War and Peace was about a defensive war, Russians defending themselves from Napoleon, an aggressor. Tolstoy himself was a critic of war and believed in the futility and destructiveness of armed conflict. He emphasized the human suffering and the moral complexities inherent in warfare. While War and Peace showcases the resilience and patriotic spirit of the Russian people in a defensive war, it can't be reasonably seen as a blanket endorsement of war itself or an exploration of aggression. I wonder if his conclusions about Russian resilience and patriotism are more about people defending their homes and lives— as the Ukrainians are today— than about a Russian war of aggression, where Russia is seeking to conquer and expand its territory. War and Peace specifically emphasized the response of the Russian people to an invasion and the preservation of their way of life and I’m thinking that it describes the Ukrainians more than the Russians in this conflict.