Hope for a cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv faded further Monday as Ukrainian leaders vowed revenge for Russia’s weekend airstrike on an apartment building in Dnipro that killed at least 40 civilians, while rescue workers searched for dozens more still feared to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Around-the-clock rescue efforts in the southeastern Ukrainian city dragged through a third day amid signs the Kremlin intends only to escalate its brutal attacks on civilian targets and launch a potentially major new offensive against Ukrainian forces.
Western analysts believe Moscow is now laying the groundwork for a “protracted war” that could see fighting grind on for months or perhaps longer, with Russian military commanders apparently believing they have a window in Ukraine’s east to reverse the gains of Kyiv’s counteroffensive push late last year.