Ukrainian expert reveals surprise reason behind Kyiv night strike
Photo: Russian forces attacked Kyiv on the night of July 4 (t.me/dsns_telegram)
The large-scale strike on Kyiv may not have been just a military operation, but also a political signal aimed at US President Donald Trump. The timing of the attack may have been deliberately aligned with US Independence Day, stated military expert Mykhailo Samus in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.
"Obviously, it takes more than a day to prepare a large-scale strike of this level. It cannot be that today, Putin calls the Chief of the General Staff and says, 'Let’s hit Kyiv today,'" the expert noted.
He noted that the relevant units may have a plan that specifies a set of targets in Kyiv and considers how many Shaheds and missiles should be used.
"That’s possible, but in any case, this strike was prepared for more than a few hours. And to me, it looks like Putin and his team were aiming specifically for July 4, the US Independence Day," Samus emphasized.
In his opinion, this is a situation where Putin likes to demonstrate his power and superiority.
"What I find interesting is who initiated the conversation between Putin and Trump. I suspect Putin used the pretext of congratulating Trump on Independence Day - Trump looked completely unprepared for that call. He started talking about peace, but Putin responded, 'We have root causes, and I will achieve my goals,'" Samus added.
Was the strike linked to the suspension of US aid?
According to Samus, the question of who initiated the suspension of aid remains open.
"It all seemed to happen at the same time. The massive strike on Kyiv is clearly a message to Trump. It’s a show of disrespect. A demonstration that says, 'I talked to you, and now I’m showing you exactly how I feel about you. You’re stopping aid? Great, good for you,'" the expert noted.
He also mentioned a conspiracy theory suggesting that Trump had stopped aid specifically for this conversation or had released such information in the media about the order to stop supplies from Rzeszów to Ukraine.
"That triggered an information wave. And Trump tells Putin, 'See, I stopped aid to Ukraine - let’s let's cease fire.' But Putin replies, 'I don’t care. The fact you stopped aid - good job, you’re submitting, you’re weak. But I’ll do whatever I want.' That’s exactly how it looked. And last night’s strike made this clear," Samus concluded.
US suspends weapons shipments to Ukraine
On the evening of July 1, several Western media outlets reported a partial suspension of US weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
The White House later confirmed the information, stating that at this stage, America’s national interests remain the top priority.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that working-level talks with the US are ongoing to clarify the situation. Meanwhile, the news of a possible halt in arms deliveries was met with open enthusiasm in Russia.
However, later that night, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States continues to supply weapons to Ukraine, but must also consider its own stockpiles.
Notably, that same night, Kyiv came under another massive Russian attack involving missiles and drones.
As fires broke out from the strikes, the city was blanketed in smoke by morning, and authorities urged residents to keep their windows shut.
More details on the aftermath of the Kyiv attack can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
