World Affairs International

On the eve of Russia’s annexation of occupied Ukrainian territories, Putin signed decrees recognizing the illegitimate Kherson People’s Republic and Zaporizhzhia People’s Republic as independent states. Mirroring actions taken in Russia’s occupation of Crimea, the decrees and temporary “independence” of either region are merely a transitory period for Russia’s illegal annexation.

Additionally, a large-scale drone and missile attack terrorized Ukraine’s civilian centers, including strikes in Dnipro, which targeted critical infrastructure, destroying up to 50 civilian buses. In Odesa and Mykolaiv, Iranian drones continued their terror-bombing, though Ukraine claimed air defenses had shot down five.