Russia is increasing its attacks on Ukraine while the world is occupied with the Middle Eastern conflict.

Russia is using the escalation of military activity in the Middle East to intensify its assaults on Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said. He added that the conflict between Iran and Israel benefits Russia, as oil prices are rising.

The most recent example of Russia’s renewed aggression was a combined Russian strike involving Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on the night of June 23, in which at least 10 people were killed, and approximately 40 were injured in Kyiv and the surrounding region. The Shevchenko district of Kyiv sustained the most damage, with the entrance to a high-rise building collapsing. During the night, Russia launched 352 drones and 16 missiles against Ukraine. Ukrainian defense forces intercepted 354 air attack vehicles.

In the afternoon, the enemy attacked an educational institution in Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky with ballistic missiles, resulting in two deaths and 12 injuries.

Estonian intelligence reported that Russian forces lack the resources to break through on Ukraine’s eastern front but will continue offensive operations on land and in air, increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure. Ants Kiviselg, head of Estonia’s Defense Forces Intelligence Center, said this demonstrates that, after failing on the battlefield, Russia is turning to terror tactics to influence civilian morale.