Zelenskiy Vows Retaliation After Russian Strike Kills 24 in Kyiv Block
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 15
Zelenskiy Vows Retaliation After Russian Strike Kills 24 in Kyiv Block
4 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 15
24 people, including three children, were confirmed killed in a Kyiv apartment block, where Zelenskiy laid flowers and vowed Russia's attack would not go unpunished.
Ukraine's president said military and intelligence officials were preparing retaliatory long-range strikes, citing Russia's oil sector, weapons industry and those responsible for alleged war crimes.
1,500 drones and dozens of missiles were launched at Ukraine over two days, Ukrainian officials said, in the heaviest bombardment of Kyiv this year; six more people were killed in western Ukraine.
Trump said the strikes, launched hours after a three-day U.S.-brokered ceasefire expired, could disrupt diplomacy, while Kyiv marked a day of mourning and Western diplomats visited the site.
Can Ukraine's deep strikes on Russian oil refineries cripple the Kremlin's war machine?
After a deadly strike shattered another ceasefire, is a diplomatic end to the war now impossible?
How do Western electronics keep powering Russia's newest missiles despite sanctions?
Russia’s May 14, 2026 Mass Missile Attack on Kyiv: Escalation, Air Defense Gaps, and the Cycle of Retaliation in Ukraine’s War
Overview
After a brief ceasefire urged by US President Donald Trump, Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine on May 14, 2026, targeting Kyiv with hundreds of drones and missiles. This attack was carefully planned to overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses and coincided with a major international summit in Beijing, drawing global attention. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy condemned the strike as a deliberate terrorist tactic and quickly called for countermeasures. The escalation highlights Russia’s ongoing missile production despite sanctions and exposes critical gaps in Ukraine’s defenses, raising serious concerns about further conflict and humanitarian impact.