The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine is in its seventh week. There were reports in the Western media that Russia is losing the war even after over 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered to the Russian forces, according to a report from Reuters. No one knows for sure what the actual situation on the ground is. However, there is one thing we do know: the war is now entering a new phase.
For the first time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Russian long-range strategic bombers struck various military targets in Kyiv, Ukraine. The news of the bombing came at a time when China’s air and naval forces were conducting an exercise near Taiwan due to the United States’ “wrong signals” regarding the island’s status, the Chinese army says.
In a statement on Friday, Ukrainian defense ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said that Russia’s Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bomber aircraft dropped bombs over positions in the port city of Mariupol, confirming an earlier report from Russia Military of Defense (MoD).
“On April 14, two Russian strategic heavy bombers Tu-95/-160 have launched cruise missiles hitting the territory of Ukraine from Krasnodar Krai of Russian Federation airspace,” he said. “Also for the first time from the start of the armed aggression bombs were dropped by a long-range bomber Tu-22M3. This airstrike took place, hitting Mariupol.”
In a separate report, Russia MOD reported last night that what is remaining of the Ukrainian Air Force was further destroyed via Russian precision missiles near Kyiv. The Ministry added that a Kyiv plant that made highly specialized missiles which includes armament for BUK, S300 and the factory that worked on Ukrainian anti-ship missiles had been completely destroyed by Russian strikes.
The use of long-range strategic bombers could signal the start of a new Russian strategy after The Kremlin recently admitted it’s suffered bigger than expected casualties.
