Why Putin Hated Ukraine So Much That He Invaded It

Putin invaded Ukraine out of deep resentment, blaming it for the Soviet Union's collapse and seeking revenge through brutal warfare.

- JOHN DOBSON

Just before 10.30 am on the Christian holy day of Palm Sunday last week, a 21-foot Iskander ballistic missile slammed into the eastern Ukraine city of Sumy, packed with worshippers returning home from church. Minutes later, as rescue workers rushed to help, a second Iskander scattered cluster munitions over the same area. An Iskander can deliver nearly a ton of high-explosives from up to 350 miles away, precision guided to within 10 or 20 metres from its target. Fired into a typical civilian neighbourhood, its warhead, designed to destroy factories or hardened bunkers, can devastate an entire street. At least 34 innocent Ukrainian citizens were killed and hundreds more injured, including many children. Earlier this month, a similar attack using Iskanders was made on Kryvyi Rih, the home of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, when dozens of citizens were massacred and many injured. These assaults were just two of a succession of missile attacks in recent years by Russian forces on heavily populated cities in eastern Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, the missile attacks on Sumy were carried out by men of Russia's 112th Missile Brigade, a unit which Kyiv says deliberately targets civilians. Based in Shuya, north-east of Moscow, the 112th consists of three missile divisions, with three operational launchers. According to the Telegraph, it is commanded by 47-year-old Colonel Ponomarev, who answers to the Chief of the general staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, who in turn receives orders from President Vladimir Putin. There is therefore a direct line of accountability between Putin and the massacres in Ukraine.