Lavrov says Russia will continue 'massive attacks' on Ukraine in response to Kyiv's actions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared that Russia will persistently carry out "massive attacks" against targets in Ukraine, framing these actions as a direct response to Kyiv's recent aggressions.

Lavrov's statement, as reported by Russian agencies, directly linked the intensified strikes to Ukraine's launch of what was described as the largest drone attack on Moscow. This Ukrainian assault reportedly resulted in 17 injuries, ignited a fire at a refinery, and caused damage to civilian infrastructure in the capital.

"It is not accidental that the president (Vladimir Putin) announced some time ago, after another terrorist act by Kyiv, that we will now carry out massive attacks regularly against targets on which the combat capability of the Ukrainian armed forces directly depends," Lavrov explained. This aligns with Putin's recent assertions that Russia would escalate strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure utilized by the military, specifically in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian sites.

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defense forces neutralized nearly a thousand Ukrainian drones within the preceding 24 hours, marking a record high since the conflict began in 2022. This claim follows an earlier incident where, according to Russian reports, Ukrainian forces struck a student dormitory in Luhansk, resulting in 21 fatalities. The ongoing escalation highlights a cycle of retaliatory strikes between Russia and Ukraine.