The Guardian view on Putin’s retaliation: what price will Ukraine pay for taking the war to Moscow? | Editorial

The devastating toll of recent attacks and the advance of Russian troops are prompting questions at home

Ukraine's audacious August incursion into Russian territory was a welcome fillip for national morale, and a message to foreign backers that Kyiv could still take the initiative after the disappointing counteroffensive of 2023. A more sober mood has now asserted itself with Moscow's retaliation for the humiliation.

A strike on Lviv on Wednesday left at least seven dead and 53 injured, while another killed more than 50 people at a military training institution and hospital in Poltava the previous day. At the weekend, a 14-year-old girl was among at least seven people killed in Kharkiv when a bomb hit a playground. The Russian advance in eastern Ukraine also appears to be picking up steam, with tens of thousands preparing to flee. Losing Pokrovsk, a big logistics hub, would be a serious blow. There are also reports that Iran is expected to ship missiles to Russia imminently".