Zelenskyy vows response after Russian strike kills 24 in Kyiv

Ukraine’s air force says Thursday’s attack was part of the largest aerial assault since the war began.Published On 15 May 2026Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says strikes targeting Russia’s oil industry and military production facilities are “entirely justified” after Moscow flattened an apartment block in Kyiv, killing at least 24 people.On Friday, Zelenskyy warned that Russia’s attacks would not go unpunished, saying he had discussed long-range strikes with senior military, security and intelligence officials, as a day of mourning was observed in Kyiv following Thursday’s attack on a nine-storey apartment block in the capital’s Darnytskyi district.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Zimbabweans lured into Russia’s war as families plead for their returnlist 2 of 3UN aid convoy hit by drone strikes in Ukraine’s Khersonlist 3 of 3Finland ends drone alert amid regional fears of Ukraine war spilloverend of listUkraine’s air force said the strike, which also killed three children, was part of Russia’s largest aerial assault on the country since the war began more than four years ago.Zelenskyy added that he had also discussed what he described as Moscow’s attempts “to draw Belarus deeper into the war” with senior officials, and alleged that Russia was preparing strikes against more than 20 decision-making centres across Ukraine. He said his office and state residence were among the targets, alongside government buildings and military command posts.Ukraine began responding on Friday to Russian strikes, launching a large-scale long-range drone attack targeting energy and military infrastructure across several Russian regions. At least four people, including a child, were killed in a drone strike in the city of Ryazan, according to the regional governor. Ukrainian drones also struck the local oil refinery, one of the largest in the country.POW swapFootage of tearful Ukrainian soldiers and jubilant Russian troops emerged on Friday after the two countries completed an exchange of 205 prisoners of war each.