EDITORIAL - A bad move

A video now making its rounds in social media shows what is purportedly a Ukrainian drone hitting a residential building in Russia and exploding there.

BBC has verified it was indeed a Ukrainian drone, in this case a civilian aircraft modified for remote control and packed with explosives, crashing into a residential building in Rostov-on-Don, a city 200 kilometers from the frontline.

Thirteen people were injured as a result of the attack.

We don’t know if the drone went out of control heading to a military target or if the Ukrainians are deliberately targeting innocent civilians, like what the Russians are doing in Ukraine.

While some may say a tit for a tat is only fair, we say Ukraine shouldn’t act like the terrorists at their doorstep --this is if Ukraine is deliberately targeting Russian civilians.

Again, this is because Ukraine cannot afford to lose the moral high ground it has in this war.

In many wars the moral high ground isn’t exactly easy to assign because of different issues. However, in this case, Russia being the aggressor, attacking first without provocation, and repeatedly targeting civilians, it’s easy to figure out who should and shouldn’t be getting the sympathy and backing of the rest of the world.

Ukraine cannot afford to look like a villain here because of another recent development; yesterday’s “summit” between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Because despite all his bluster and threats to Putin, Trump seems to have accomplished nothing after that meeting. No deal was reached, and definitely no ceasefire is coming anytime soon. In fact, Trump said that a peace deal with Russia is now completely in Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hands. Ominous words.

This means that for now there is no end in sight to this war. And because it has become a war of attrition with stalemates more common than gains, Ukraine, with limited resources and personnel, cannot afford to lose the support it’s receiving from sympathetic nations that don’t condone attacks on civilians.

If Ukraine is deliberately targeting civilians it’s a bad move and they have to stop it.