Complaining that the West is "stuffing Ukraine with weapons,” Russia bombarded railroad stations and other supply-line targets across the country as the European Union moved to further punish Moscow for the war Wednesday by proposing a ban on oil imports. Heavy fighting also raged at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol that represented the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the ruined southern port city, according to the mayor. The Russian military said it used sea- and air-launched missiles to destroy electric power facilities at five railway stations across Ukraine, while artillery and aircraft also struck troop strongholds and fuel and ammunition depots, the AP reports.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of "resorting to the missile terrorism tactics in order to spread fear across Ukraine." Air raid sirens sounded in numerous cities across the country on Wednesday night. The attacks on rail infrastructure were meant to disrupt the delivery of Western weapons, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon's assessment, said that while the Russians have tried to hit critical infrastructure around the western city of Lviv, specifically targeting railroads, there has been "no appreciable impact" on Ukraine’s effort to resupply its forces. Lviv, close to the Polish border, has been a major gateway for NATO-supplied weapons.
The flurry of attacks comes as Russia prepares to celebrate Victory Day on May 9, marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany. The world is watching for whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will use the occasion to declare a victory in Ukraine or expand what he calls the "special military operation." A declaration of all-out war would allow Putin to introduce martial law and mobilize reservists to make up for significant troop losses. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the speculation as "nonsense."
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