Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to punish Russia and respond decisively to what he described as the largest two-day Russian air campaign against Ukraine since the start of the war.
These fiery remarks came as the Ukrainian military officially claimed responsibility for an attack on a vital oil refinery in the Ryazan region, about 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow, which Zelenskyy called a “perfectly justified response.”
The Ukrainian president inspected the destroyed residential building in Kyiv, the site of a tragic incident in which 24 civilians, including three children, were killed in recent Russian airstrikes. This building was one of 50 residential structures intensively targeted over two days by approximately 1,500 drones and dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles.
Strategy to respond to and pursue the Russian oil sector
Zelenskyy held an expanded emergency meeting with the chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Defense Intelligence Service, the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), where deliberations focused on three main points:
The first point included identifying precise targets for Ukrainian strikes and long-term sanctions against Moscow.
Zelenskyy affirmed that his country would not allow crimes to go unpunished, stating, “We are fully justified in our reactions against the Russian oil industry, military production, and those responsible for war crimes.” He praised the efforts of Ukrainian forces and institutions in building an economic and military deterrent system that has a tangible impact deep within Russia. Zelenskyy added, “Ukraine is not Russia; our defense comes from the people’s readiness to fight for their independence, and peoples cannot be defeated.”
Warnings to Belarus and exposure of “decision-making centers'” plans
The second focus was on monitoring and documenting Russia’s ongoing attempts to draw Belarus deeper into the quagmire of war.
Zelensky revealed that Kyiv possesses details of additional talks between the Russians and President Alexander Lukashenko, aimed at persuading him to join new acts of aggression.
Information indicates that Moscow is considering plans to launch military operations from Belarusian territory, either towards the Chernihiv-Kyiv axis within Ukraine or directly targeting a NATO member state.
The Ukrainian president ordered heightened readiness on the northern border and the preparation of a decisive response plan, which will be adopted at the next meeting of the General Staff.
In the third session, the meeting reviewed exclusive intelligence documents obtained by Ukrainian defense intelligence, revealing Russia’s preparations for a new wave of missile and air strikes targeting what it calls “decision-making centers,” including some twenty key political and military command posts. Zelensky concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the Russian leadership is detached from reality, and stressing that the only way out for Moscow is to end this war and agree to negotiate a just peace that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty.
