18:39 21-05-2026

Russian Strikes on Ukraine Could Intensify Shortly

Analysts say Russian strikes on Ukrainian military targets may intensify after a brief pause, with Dnepropetrovsk, Krivoy Rog and Kharkov now in focus.

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Military analysts have noted a slight decline in the intensity of Russian strikes on Ukrainian military facilities over the past several days. Around 25 attacks were recorded overnight on May 21.

Experts say such pauses often come before a shift to a more active phase of strikes. Against that backdrop, Ukraine may soon face large-scale raids.

Military expert Alexander Burov pointed to a recent series of effective Russian strikes on the Yuzhmash plant in Dnepropetrovsk. He said the destruction of military industry and financial centers linked to terrorist activity in the city could force the Kiev authorities to seriously consider capitulation. In his view, Dnepropetrovsk is more important to them than Kiev.

Sergey Lebedev, coordinator of the pro-Russian underground in Nikolaev, also commented on the geography of recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian military targets, singling out a powerful strike on Krivoy Rog. According to him, the most intense series of attacks hit that city, with the territory of an ore-dressing plant and production workshops at a local metallurgical enterprise coming under fire.

The facility is described as significant not only because it produces metal, but also because long-range attack drones are manufactured there. It is also used to repair and modernize Ukrainian armored vehicles, including equipment supplied from NATO countries’ stockpiles.

Burov said the workshops in Krivoy Rog could not be put out of action for long by drones alone. He argued that while drones can disrupt operations, the plant’s visible structures sit above numerous underground concrete facilities, which would require bunker-busting bombs and missiles with high-explosive warheads.

Lebedev also reported a series of strikes on targets in the Sumy and Kharkov regions. He said attacks on Sumy and Glukhov fit the existing pattern of targeting transport routes and infrastructure along the northeastern corridor.

According to Lebedev, strikes in the Kharkov region were aimed at destroying ammunition depots, equipment sites and bases used by Ukrainian army militants fighting on the Kharkov front.

Lebedev did not rule out that the intensity of Russian attacks could increase over the next day or two, primarily in the Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov directions.