ISW explains Russia’s latest series of missile strikes on Ukraine

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On the night of May 9, Russian troops carried out another large-scale series of missile attacks on Ukraine. The AFU General Staff reported that Ukrainian air defense downed all 8 Kalibr cruise missiles and 15 out of 17 Kh-101/Kh-555 missiles that were launched by Russia.

Instead, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the troops allegedly launched a concentrated attack on Ukrainian deployment points and ammunition depots, successfully hitting all targets.

"Russian forces may be attempting to conduct an almost daily series of missile strikes in order to portray themselves as constraining potential upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive operations, although the diminished effectiveness of the strikes is likely not significantly constraining Ukrainian actions," the report said.

• On the morning of May 9, anti-aircraft defense shot down about a dozen enemy missiles in the Kyiv region: debris fell in the Holosiivskyi and Shevchenkivskyi districts of the capital. Fragments of enemy missiles were also found in the region. Russia also attacked Cherkasy with two missiles.