Russia launched at least 800 drones over 20 regions of Ukraine this past Wednesday, May 13, resulting in the deaths of seven people and the wounding of dozens. This was one of the longest attacks by Moscow in the 4-year-old war, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The attack was done in broad daylight, starting midmorning and lasting hours. The areas affected were the capital, Kyiv, as well as the western city of Lviv, near Poland, and the port of Odesa on the Black Sea, among other population centers. Zelenskyy himself spoke about the situation on Telegram, being the one to reveal the affected places and assuring that “Our soldiers are defending Ukraine.” He also suggested that the cause of this attack is rather simple, however, saying that “Russia’s obvious goal is to overload air defenses.”
The attack came at an ironic timing, as the previous day President Donald Trump announced he believed that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine would soon reach a deal to end fighting. “The end of the war in Ukraine I really think is getting very close,” Trump said as he left the White House for his Beijing summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed this statement, saying that “Believe it or not, it’s getting closer.” He added on to this in a speech last weekend that his invasion of Ukraine is possibly “coming to an end.”
Neither leader divulged the exigence of their discussion of the possibility of peace so suddenly, nor have any details of this possible “end” been discussed, with any clues as to what Russia intends to do with the land it has already seized from Ukraine or what assurance the country can have it won’t invade again being left uncertain and undiscussed.
The attack also rattled Ukraine’s neighbors. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has claimed that his administration summoned the Russian ambassador over the drone strike’s proximity to Hungary’s border, a shift that is significant due to his predecessor, Viktor Orbán, having friendly relations with Russia. In fact, Magyar has gone as far as to tell journalists that “the Hungarian government strongly condemns the Russian attack on Transcarpathia” and that he would meet with their ambassador on the 14th. The main plan was to ask, “When do Russia and Vladimir Putin plan to finally end this bloody war?”
After the meeting, Magyar said he “told the Russian ambassador that it was completely unacceptable for Hungary that they were now attacking Transcarpathia, the home of the Hungarian minority. ” Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary Anita Orbán added onto this, posting on social media that she “stressed that Russia should do everything for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful and lasting end to the war as soon as possible.”
What the Russian Ambassador’s response to this was is currently not public. However, the Russian embassy has issued a statement saying the Russian attack on the May 13 only targeted installations and infrastructure used by Ukraine’s army and not civilian sites. Yet, amongst the victims was a 12-year-old civilian.
