Russia is
stepping up its
aerial assault
on the Ukrainian capital Kiev,
and is apparently changing tactics
by launching missile and drone attacks
during the day, not just at night.
This video shows
children screaming
in fear as they run to a shelter
Ukraine says
air defenses shot down
dozens of cruise
missiles and drones
launched at the Capitol.
But even missiles that get shot down
still, of course, pose a danger.
This falling debris don't hit a car.
After Ukraine intercepted
a missile attack.
Ukrainian military officials
are vowing swift retaliation
for the Russian aerial attacks.
All of this comes as Ukraine's
top general hints
that his country's counter offensive
could be imminent.
CNN's
Sam Kiley joins us live
now from eastern Ukraine.
And Sam,
you've actually just spent some time
with recruits
who could see the front line any day now.
What did you learn
Well, yes.
I mean, in the
context of what's going on in
Kiev, clearly
the Russians are returning
to their tactic
of trying
to go
after targets where they could maximize
the death and damage
they do to civilian infrastructure
and to people themselves.
And that has provoked
commanders here on the ground,
not really threatening retaliation,
but once again,
saying that the imminent counteroffensive
is just that it is close
and it is threatening to Russia.
But the Ukrainians themselves
are under no illusions
as to what that will mean
to ordinary soldiers themselves.
These are new recruits training.
They could be on the frontline
in a couple of weeks.
in training, mistakes are harmless.
And what happened to you?
How long have you been doing this?
Training
What do you think about the
coming offensive?
Do you want to get involved
because you're not worried
These young men.
They've been having quite a lot of fun
running around in the woods
and sometimes things get quite funny.
But ultimately,
this business is deadly serious.
These recruits could be weeks away
from combat, pretend war.
Turning to this,
where death is all too real
wounded veteran Colonel Alexander Peskin
runs the training.
That experience is hard won.
Alexander came face to face
with a Russian
who shot him in Bakhmut last week.
What would you say to young volunteers
or conscripts?
Joining me now
the hospital's got plans
for dealing with Ukraine's offensive,
which is expected this summer.
For Colonel
Pushkin knows that
this will not be his last
memorial service.
This military cemetery has space to grow.
Soldiers are confronted
with grim truth here
that many young men are forever entombed
in this parade of graves
Now Zain
Clearly, that is a rather grim
reminder of what really happens here.
To so many Ukrainian forces.
But this is also
a message that the Ukrainians
have been trying to send to the Russians
now for some time.
Both of the attacks
against their logistics bases,
which have been increasing,
but also with a wide
range of their own social media posts,
all suggesting to the Russians
that they might want to think
about running away rather than fighting
Sam Kiley live for us there
Thank you so much.