As Russia launched a deadly drone and missile strike on Kyiv that mayor Vitaly Klitschko described as the “most massive attack” the capital had seen, Vladimir Putin is facing an impossible decision.
The Russian President is considering a new mass conscription of troops to regain his dominance in the Ukraine war, according to independent media, but such a move would risk galvanising opposition to his rule.
Russia’s latest attack on Kyiv overnight into Thursday deployed hundreds of weapons and hit locations over a wide area, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 90, according to the authorities. Moscow said it had targeted Ukraine’s airports, military infrastructure and energy network in retaliation for Ukraine’s increasingly devastating attacks deep inside Russia.
Shorts
But the brutal Russian attack may not be enough to protect Putin from growing societal discontent over the damage his invasion of Ukraine is inflicting on his country. The Russian leader’s approval ratings are the lowest they have been since the start of the war, down to 65 per cent in April from 77 per cent in December, the state pollster, VTsIOM, reported, despite Russia’s total control over state media.
