Ukraine’s air force said Thursday’s attack was part of its largest air raid since the start of the war.
Published May 15, 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said attacks targeting Russia’s oil industry and military production facilities were “completely justified” after the Kremlin bombed an apartment building in Kiev, killing at least 24 people.
President Zelensky said on Friday that he had discussed long-range strikes with military, security and intelligence officials, warning that Russian attacks would not go unpunished, as a day of mourning was observed in Kiev following Thursday’s attack on a nine-story apartment complex in the capital’s Dalnitsky district.
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Ukraine’s air force said the attack, which also killed three children, was part of Russia’s largest air raid on the country since the war began more than four years ago.
Zelensky added that he had also discussed with senior officials what he said were attempts by the Russian government to “draw Belarus deeper into the war” and claimed that Russia was preparing attacks on more than 20 decision-making centers across Ukraine. He said targets included his own office and official residence, as well as government buildings and military command posts.
Ukraine began responding to the Russian attack on Friday, launching a large-scale long-range drone strike targeting energy and military infrastructure across several Russian regions. At least four people, including a child, were killed in a drone attack in the city of Ryazan, the regional governor said. Ukrainian drones also attacked a local oil refinery, one of the country’s largest.
prisoner exchange
Footage of tearful Ukrainian soldiers and jubilant Russian troops was released on Friday after the two countries completed an exchange of 205 prisoners each.
The exchange was formed as part of a three-day ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump last week. The two sides plan to exchange a total of 1,000 prisoners each.
The remains of those killed in the battle were also exchanged, with Russia handing over 526 bodies in exchange for the remains of 41 soldiers.
Last weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the war was nearing an end. His comments were later echoed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
However, President Zelenskiy dismissed Putin’s comments, saying Russia had no intention of ending the conflict. President Trump, who made ending the war a key campaign promise in 2024, later said Thursday’s attack on an apartment building in Ukraine could delay peace efforts.
“It’s an issue that we want to see resolved,” Trump said. “It looked like things were going well until last night, but last night they (the Ukrainians) took a big hit. So the end (of the war) will happen. But it’s unfortunate.”
