Ukraine's 'Spiderweb' Drone Attack on Russian Airfields Sparks Propaganda War

Kyiv is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, with a history dating back over 1,500 years. According to legend, it was founded around 482 CE by four siblings of Eastern Slavic origin, with the city named after the eldest brother, Kiy[1][3]. Kyiv became the political and cultural center of Kievan Rus', the first East Slavic state, under Varangian rule starting in the late 9th century, particularly flourishing under rulers such as Prince Vladimir Sviatoslavich, who Christianized the region in 988, and Yaroslav the Wise, who made Kyiv a prosperous city renowned for its churches, markets, and cultural importance[1][2]. Kyiv suffered major destruction during the Mongol invasion of 1240, which ended the dominance of Kievan Rus'[1][2]. Over subsequent centuries, Kyiv experienced periods of control by various powers, including Imperial Russia, under which it underwent significant Russification and industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a major trade and transportation hub in the Russian Empire[2][4]. The city played a central role in Ukrainian nationalism and revolutionary activity during the early 20th century, serving as the capital of briefly independent Ukrainian states amidst the turmoil of World War I, the Russian Revolution, and subsequent conflicts[4]. Today, Kyiv covers approximately 780 square kilometers on both banks of the Dnieper River and retains many historic architectural monuments such as the 11th-century St. Sophia Cathedral and the Baroque St. Andrew’s Church[5]. Since Ukraine's independence in 1991, Kyiv has been the political, economic, and cultural heart of the country. In recent years, especially during the ongoing conflict with Russia, Kyiv has been a frontline city symbolizing Ukrainian resilience. Despite wartime conditions, the city maintains a vibrant atmosphere with strong security measures and a developing wartime tourism sector that includes memorials and exhibits related to the conflict[6].

Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, positioned in the western part of the country along the Moskva River, from which it derives its name[3][8]. Its first recorded mention dates to 1147, when it was a small, fortified settlement established by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky at the border of the Vladimir-Suzdal Principality[3][8]. Over the next centuries, Moscow grew from a minor trading post into a regional center, despite being burned by the Mongols in the early 13th century and again in 1293[3][4]. The city’s strategic location on key river and portage trade routes contributed to its rise, and in 1326 it became the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church, cementing its religious and political significance[4][6]. By the late 15th century, Moscow emerged as the capital of a unified Russian state, leading the resistance against Mongol rule and eventually becoming the center of the Tsardom of Russia under Ivan the Terrible, who was crowned the first tsar in 1547[2][3]. The city’s architectural legacy—including the Kremlin, Red Square, and Saint Basil’s Cathedral—dates largely to this period, though Moscow suffered repeated fires, famines, and attacks, notably by the Crimean Tatars in the 16th and 17th centuries[2][3]. The city’s fortifications expanded with multiple defensive rings, remnants of which still influence its urban layout today[2]. Moscow remained Russia’s political, economic, and cultural heart, even after Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712. It regained its status as the capital following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union. Throughout the 20th century, Moscow was central to Soviet governance, industrialization, and the Cold War, and it continues to play a dominant role in post-Soviet Russia[1][8]. Today, Moscow is Europe’s most populous city and a global metropolis, home to key government institutions, major corporations, and cultural landmarks. It is a hub for finance, education, science, and transportation, and it regularly hosts international events. Recent years have seen significant urban development, the expansion of public transport, and the hosting of high-profile events like the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The city remains a focal point of Russian political life and a symbol of the nation’s historical continuity and modern ambitions[1][8].