As of this writing, at least 10 people are dead and scores wounded in Russia’s latest shelling of Kyiv after a ballistic missile smashed into a residential building in the capital’s Shevchenkivsky district. Other parts of the city were also damaged by Shahed drones, including the swimming pool of Kyiv Polytechnical Institute (below).
The air alert lasted from around midnight to 3.30, and then again from 3.45 to 4.30. Ukraine’s Airforce said it shot down 339 out of 352 Shahed-type strike UAVs and simulators, 10 out of 11 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and five out of five Iskander-K cruise missiles.
Direct hits were recorded at six locations, as well as falling debris at 25 locations in Kyiv and environs.
International law, particularly the rules of international humanitarian law, prohibits the shooting of ballistic missiles at residential areas of large cities.
The meta-game is the game of games. It's the larger geopolitical contest of aggression and dominance. The meta-game for despots who refuse to play by the rules is how to stay in power.
A strategy of skirmish and scheming feints and counter-feints is something Russia’s leaders are really good at. They "win" every time one of their ballistic missiles destroys a residential building in Ukraine’s capital and kills civilians, but they aren’t smart enough to understand the monstrosity of their crime. It's their nature to play the scheming mini-game. They can't help themselves.
Putin is plenty smart enough to understand and master the reality of his immediate situation, but nowhere near smart enough to withstand the reality of the larger situation. Which explains why he already lost.