Ukrainian air defenses intercept a Russian missile over Kyiv, May 16, 2023

I joined Times Radio’s Rosie Wright on Tuesday morning to analyze the overnight Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, putting them into the context of the immenent Ukraine counter-offensive to liberate territory from Russian occupation.

I evaluate how Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s four-day tour of four European countries points to that counter-offensive, with more commitments of military aid and the message that talks with Russia can only come after the withdrawal of Moscow’s troops and the cessation of attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

Ukraine and its supporters have been able to check Vladimir Putin’s last roll of the dice by bolstering air defenses.

He has failed to break Ukraine and its energy grid since last October, and these are the last blows of a wounded animal facing defeat….

Meanwhile, the “shaping operations” for Ukraine’s counter-offensive have already started.