By Zoe Schimke

War continues in Ukraine, with drone strikes Tuesday landing in key Russian military sites. This is the second day of attacks on these sites. Although Ukrainian military officials did not definitively confirm that they are responsible for the attacks, they have maintained ambiguity around other high-profile attacks like these. Tuesday’s strikes fell on an airport in Kursk, a region that borders Ukraine, and an industrial plant 50 miles from the Ukrainian border. 

Russian authorities blamed Kyiv for attacks on two air bases deep inside Russia on Monday, including the Engels base in the Saratov region and the Dyagilevo base in the Ryazan region. Spokespeople for Moscow say that Russia will “take necessary precautions” against attacks like these, but Russian bloggers have criticized the bases’ lack of defensive measures. Russian pro-war blogger on the Telegram channel “Milinfolive” accused Russian military leadership of incompetence, saying that proper fortifications would have prevented Ukrainian drone strikes. 

As the war drags into the winter, Russia has continued its campaign of missile attacks on Ukrainian cities for weeks, damaging buildings, killing civilians, and heavily affecting power grids and other infrastructure. Approximately half the households in the region surrounding Kyiv remain without electricity, and the city of Odesa has restored power to some emergency services. 

In November, the war’s last significant development occurred when Ukrainian forces took back heavily occupied Kherson from the Russian armed forces. Still, no significant advancements have been made by either side since then. Russian rocket attacks are still hitting Kherson, but if Ukraine holds onto its position, they may have a pathway into Crimea. Ukrainian officials have indicated that the country might pursue counteroffensives this winter, as heavy equipment is better moved on frozen ground.