Ukrainecast

A government building struck in Kyiv and a new threat from Trump

Sep 9, 2025
In this dialogue, Stephanie Baker, a senior writer for Bloomberg and author of ‘Punishing Putin’, shares insights on Washington's potential responses to the recent Russian missile strike on a Kyiv government building. Mikey Kay, former strategic military planner, analyzes the strike's implications and security challenges. They discuss the complexities of sanctions, the evolving conflict, and the urgent calls for Western support as Ukraine faces mounting pressures. A captivating exploration of diplomacy, military strategy, and international relations unfolds.
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ANECDOTE

Government District Struck In Kyiv

  • The Pechersk district houses Ukraine's president, parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers and was hit by a missile that caused major fire damage to the 10th floor.
  • Vitaly Shevchenko described this as a shocking break of a long-standing norm against striking central government buildings in Kyiv.
INSIGHT

Debris Points To Ballistic Strike

  • Damage photos show heavy metallic fragments consistent with a ballistic missile engine, not a carbon-fibre Shahed drone.
  • Mikey Kay argued the impact pattern and turbine-like debris point to a ballistic weapon such as an Iskander.
ADVICE

Strengthen Layered Air Defences

  • Improve layered air defence around central Kyiv with systems like Patriot and C-RAM to intercept missiles before they reach critical buildings.
  • Mikey Kay recommended deploying both long-range interceptors and close-in weapons to reduce vulnerability to single ballistic strikes.
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