Zelenskyy Vows Response After Russian Strike Kills 24 in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi District

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian 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 in the capital’s Darnytskyi district.

“Ukrainian 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”

Al Jazeera

Zelenskyy warned on Friday 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.

Al Jazeera

The Ukrainian air force said the strike that also killed three children was part of Russia’s largest aerial assault on the country since the war began more than four years ago, and Zelenskyy 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.

The Guardian reported that Kyiv’s attack on Friday followed a series of drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, including on the capital, Kyiv, where a cruise missile hit an apartment block on Thursday, killing 24 people including three children.

As Kyiv marked a national day of mourning, the Council of Europe said on Friday it was moving towards setting up a war crimes court to try Russia’s leadership, with Alain Berset saying, “Action now needs to be taken to follow up on this political commitment by securing the tribunal’s functioning and funding.”

Zelenskyy visited the site of the destroyed apartment block in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district and told rescue workers, “Our first responders ... worked non-stop for more than a day,” while he said, “The Russians practically levelled an entire section of the building with their missile.”

Aleteia

The Guardian said city officials in Kyiv recovered 24 bodies from the rubble and about 30 people were rescued alive, while it also reported nearly 50 people were wounded and about 400 people required psychological support.

CNN reported that Russian strikes overnight killed at least 17 people in Kyiv and injured dozens, and it said Zelensky told reporters Russia fired more than 1,560 drones on Ukraine since the start of Wednesday.

BBC said at least 16 people were killed in Kyiv, including two children, and that rescuers were still searching for at least 20 people feared missing, after a nine-storey apartment block was hit in the Darnytskyi district.

Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukraine was “entirely justified in our responses against Russia’s oil industry, military production, and those directly responsible for committing war crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians,” as the Guardian described Russia’s biggest barrage since February 2022.

“- Published At least 16 people have been killed, including two children, in Kyiv after Russia launched a massive overnight drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital and other regions, officials have said”

BBC

The Guardian said the interior ministry reported the search-and-rescue operation at the apartment building lasted more than 28 hours and hundreds of rescuers sifted through 3,000 cubic metres of rubble.

BBC reported that Zelensky said the apartment block was hit by a Kh-101 cruise missile, and it said the emergency service provided no further details after DSNS reported 47 people, including two children, were injured.

In Kyiv, the BBC also reported that the city’s water supply had been disrupted, while the Guardian said Zelensky placed flowers and spoke to rescue workers after the missile attack.

Beyond Kyiv, the Times of Suriname said Russia launched a massive wave of drone and missile strikes that killed at least seven people in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old girl, and it said rescuers were searching for at least 20 people feared missing.