Russia authorized its central bank and other financial institutions to shoot down drones, as the country’s cities and infrastructure increasingly come under attack from Ukraine.
A central bank branch in Russian-annexed Crimea was struck by a rocket Wednesday; a local official accused Ukraine of trying to destabilize Russia’s financial system. Ukraine has stepped up attacks on targets deep within Russian territory, including oil and military facilities. Moscow scaled back its recent Victory Day celebrations, citing security threats.
Kyiv is approaching a “turning point” in the war, and has six months to make battlefield gains to increase its leverage in peace talks, a senior Ukrainian commander told Reuters.