Ukrainian president Zelenskyy fires air force commander after fatal F-16 crash
NPR Online NewsAug 22
Russia and Ukraine Trade Aerial Attacks
Above: An owner stands next to his car, wrecked by the rubble of a residential building hit by a downed kamikaze drone on May 30, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Image copyright: Global Images Ukraine/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A day after Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks of the war, Russia responded by launching missiles and drones at Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine in the early hours of Monday.
Ukraine's Air Force said that Russia launched a total of 35 missiles and 23 drones that targeted the regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy, adding that 22 missiles and 20 drones were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
The Spin
Pro-Russia narrative
Once Ukraine's offensive in Kursk fails, as it was always destined to, Kyiv's officials will realize they have to start negotiating for peace. Russia has always favored a peaceful settlement, but was forced to take military action to protect the Russian-speaking people of the Donbas region after Ukraine chose to disregard the Minsk agreements.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Days after stating that peace talks are no longer relevant, Russian Pres. Putin has once again changed his mind and suggested he wants the war to end through dialogue. Putin continues to distort reality by suggesting that Russia is the victim, when it is the one that has terrorized Ukraine with its aggression.