News Review: 31/05/2023

Drones Hit Moscow in Largest Attack

Russian authorities said Tuesday, 30 May, that eight Ukrainian drones targeted civilian areas of Moscow, marking the largest attack on the capital city since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine last year. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drones only caused “insignificant damage” to residential buildings and that two people were treated for minor injuries but didn’t need to be hospitalized. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the drone attack was an attempt by Ukraine to intimate Russian civilians. The attack came as Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine, and Putin suggested it was a response to a Russia targeting Ukraine’s military intelligence headquarters a few days earlier. Ukrainian covert attacks have increased inside Russia in recent months. Kyiv does not officially take credit for the operations, but Ukrainian officials strongly hint at their involvement. Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory risk a major escalation of the war, especially if Russia thinks the operations are supported by the US and NATO. Responding to the news of Tuesday’s drone attack, the White House said it didn’t support Ukrainian operations inside Russia.

NATO Troops Injured in Kosovo

NATO troops stationed in Kosovo under the alliance’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission were wounded Monday 29th May while trying to disperse a group of ethnic Serb protesters in the town of Zvecan. Tensions escalated in Zvecan after Kosovo police used tear gas to disband a group of Serbs who were trying to block an ethnic Albanian mayor from entering his office building. The mayor won office in an election that was boycotted by the ethnic Serb majority in northern Kosovo. Serbs in four of Kosovo’s northern municipalities have been protesting the results of the elections they didn’t participate in. Since Kosovo formally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, the ethnic Serb population of Kosovo hasn’t recognized the government in Pristina and considers themselves part of Serbia. After the incident, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken slammed Kosovo in a rare US rebuke of Pristina’s treatment of ethnic Serbs. There are about 3,700 NATO troops deployed in Kosovo under KFOR, including over 600 US troops. NATO has had a presence in the region since its 1999 bombing campaign against Serbia that resulted in the creation of the state of Kosovo.

Erdogan Secures Presidency

President Erdogan extended his two decades in power in the second round run-off, winning a mandate to that will see him spend three decades in power. His challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, called it "the most unfair election in years" but did not dispute the outcome. Official results showed Kilicdaroglu won 47.9% of the votes to Erdogan's 52.1%, pointing to a deeply divided nation. The election had been seen as one of the most consequential yet for Turkey, with the opposition believing it had a strong chance of unseating Erdogan and reversing his policies after his popularity was hit by a cost-of-living crisis. Instead, victory reinforced his image of invincibility. The prospect of five more years of his rule was a major blow to opponents who accused him of undermining democracy as he amassed ever more power. In a victory speech in Ankara, Erdogan pledged to leave all disputes behind and unite behind national values and dreams.