As the global media focuses on the escalation in Israel and the Middle East, Russia launched their biggest drone attack on Ukraine in weeks.
The attack is believed to be preparation for more fighting towards the end of the year.
Russia launched 40 kamikaze drones and a cruise missile at Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military confirmed it shot down up to half of the drones and intercepted the inbound missile.
Ukrainian anti-air systems are said to be active across ten regions, including western Lviv, much further from the front lines of fighting in the east and south.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky condemned the drone attack:
“As winter approaches, Russian terrorists will try to cause more harm.”
Zelensky posted a video showing firefighters battling a huge blaze following the drone attack.
Zelensky continued:
“We are strengthening air defense. We are strengthening mobile fire groups.”
The New York Times noted:
“Data from the Ukrainian military shows that Russia has recently increased its drone assaults against Ukraine, targeting it with nearly 650 Iranian-made Shahed drones in the past two months, compared with about 450 in July and August.”
An NYT op-ed has claimed that Russia, China, and Iran are teaming up to support Hamas and Iranian proxies in the Mideast region as global war looks more likely.
Authors Steven Lee Myers and Sheera Frenkel wrote:
“The conflict between Israel and Hamas is fast becoming a world war online. Iran, Russia and, to a lesser degree, China have used state media and the world’s major social networking platforms to support Hamas and undercut Israel, while denigrating Israel’s principal ally, the United States.”
“Iran’s proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq have also joined the fight online, along with extremist groups, like al-Qaida and the Islamic State, that were previously at odds with Hamas,” they said.
Watch
VIDEO — Russia launched a massive drone attack early Friday, hitting critical infrastructure in the west and south of Ukraine and destroying private houses and commercial buildings in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city pic.twitter.com/JEQw51RdjW
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) November 3, 2023
The op-ed concludes”
“While Iran, Russia, and China each have different motivations in backing Hamas over Israel, they have pushed the same themes since the war began.”
“They are not simply providing moral support, the officials and experts said, but also mounting overt and covert information campaigns to amplify one another and expand the global reach of their views across multiple platforms in multiple languages.”
The Biden administration also claimed Moscow wishes to sow destabilization in the Middle East while condemning the Kremlin for hosting a Hamas delegation last month for crisis talks.
