With 14,000 Russian air psssengers stranded, Ukraine expands its deep-strike campaign across Russia as the Kremlin strips air defenses from vast swathes of the country to shield Moscow ahead of Putin’s May 9th propaganda spectacle. Overnight, drones and strikes reached Grozny, Perm, Yaroslavl, Rostov and other regions, triggering airport shutdowns across Russia.
As Russian air defenses concentrate around Moscow, Ukraine continues hunting and destroying critical SAM systems both inside Russia and in occupied territories. Meanwhile, Zelensky visited Ukrainian troops near the Dnipro front as pressure on Russian forces intensifies.
Inside Russia, the economic situation continues deteriorating. The federal budget deficit has reportedly doubled as billions are redirected toward repairing oil infrastructure repeatedly damaged by Ukrainian strikes. Russian commentators openly admit Belarus now appears more stable than Russia itself, while even pro-Kremlin bloggers warn the country is spiraling toward defeat because of Putin’s decisions.
The Kremlin has now reportedly restricted foreign press coverage of the May 9th Victory Day celebrations while preparing staged backup footage of the parade in case something goes wrong during the real event. Also in this video: the touching moment a Ukrainian soldier rescues an owl from the war zone.
