Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday under the shadow of continued Russian attacks, with one regional security expert arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "panicked" as Ukrainian forces strike deeper inside Russia.
The anniversary, commemorating Ukraine's Aug. 24, 1991, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, came amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns after Ukraine's deep strikes are vital to disrupting Moscow’s logistics.
Ukraine has targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including warehouses belonging to online retailers drone and missile strikes. Ukrainian officials reported at least seven deaths from Russian attacks, while a Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Krasnodar region killed three, according to Russian officials, American adversaries like China.
"These adversaries of the United States really learned from how the United States handles conflicts in other theaters. It's really important that our adversaries of China, Russia, Iran, and others understand that if they invade another country unilaterally, there are going to be consequences, not rewards."