Ukraine marked its 35th Independence Day on Monday under the shadow of continued Russian attacks, with one regional security expert arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "panicked" as Ukrainian forces strike deeper inside Russia.The anniversary, commemorating Ukraine's Aug.24, 1991, declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, came amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and heightened security concerns after Ukraine's Security Service warned of possible terrorist attacks ahead of the holiday.European leaders joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Independence Day events in a show of support as the war grinds on.
Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine wants peace but is not prepared to surrender to Moscow's demands.A Russian drone strike Friday on a packed shopping center in Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy’s hometown, killed at least 16 people and injured 130, according to The Associated Press.'PURE HELL' IN MOSCOW AS UKRAINIAN DRONES STRIKE MAJOR REFINERY SUPPLYING CAPITAL'S FUEL MARKETFILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting aboard the missile cruiser Varyag in Russia's far eastern Sakhalin region on Wednesday, Aug.12, 2026.
Putin previously said Russia is not waging a sabotage campaign against Europe.(Reuters)Putin has warned that Ukrainian strikes on Russian economic targets open a "Pandora’s box," while Kyiv maintains deep strikes are vital to disrupting Moscow’s logistics.Ukraine has targeted Russian economic infrastructure, including warehouses belonging to online retailers Wildberries and Ozon."The war with Russia has seen a lot of advances for the Ukrainians over this year," former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti, now executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, told Fox News Digital."They've recently been able to actually penetrate much deeper into Russian territory, including close to Moscow and St.
Petersburg.""Their success on the military front has now resulted in ...