Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the military to prepare a “response” to the large-scale Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities that followed the end of a three-day ceasefire.
“I instructed Ukraine’s Defense Forces and special services to propose possible formats for our response to this strike,” Zelensky wrote on social media after a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Headquarters.
Russian forces carried out combined strikes against Ukraine over two days — according to Zelensky, 1,567 drones and 56 missiles were launched during that time. The most severe consequences were in Kyiv: eight people were killed after a strike hit a residential building, 45 were wounded, and rescue operations are ongoing. The city declared May 15 a day of mourning.
In recent months, Ukraine has been carrying out increasingly significant strikes on Russian territory, including regions located hundreds of kilometers from the front line. Since late April, Tuapse, Perm, Cheboksary, and Orenburg have all been struck with serious consequences. The stated targets are typically large defense enterprises or oil refineries, but Ukrainian drones have also hit civilian infrastructure, resulting in civilian deaths.
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