Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday promised retribution against Russia after laying red roses at the rubble of a Kyiv apartment building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three children. “Ukraine will not allow any of the aggressor’s strikes that take the lives of our people to go unpunished,” the president said following a meeting with top military and intelligence officials to discuss retaliatory long-range strikes.
Retaliatory Actions Approved
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy stated that retaliatory actions had already been approved and pointed to an overnight attack on an oil refinery in the central Russian city of Ryazan. The Ukrainian military confirmed that the strike triggered a large fire at the facility. This attack was part of a large-scale Ukrainian long-range drone assault targeting several regions in Russia, following three days of massive Russian strikes with missiles and drones.
Impact on Peace Efforts
The scale of the attacks appeared to undermine claims by former US President Donald Trump that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine was imminent. Trump had suggested that recent remarks by Vladimir Putin indicated the war might be nearing an end. However, the strikes on Kyiv—launched hours after a three-day US-brokered ceasefire expired—could disrupt diplomatic efforts, Trump told reporters.
Russian Court Orders Euroclear to Pay $250bn
A Russian court has ordered Belgian financial group Euroclear to pay approximately $250 billion in damages over the freezing of billions of dollars’ worth of Russian assets in the EU since the start of the Ukraine war. It remains unclear how Russia intends to recover the funds, and Euroclear stated it does not recognise the Russian court’s jurisdiction. The Moscow court upheld the Russian central bank’s claim, while Euroclear told Agence France-Presse that the bank’s claims were “without merit.”
Ukraine Intensifies Drone Attacks on Russian Energy Infrastructure
Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, doubling the number of oil refineries targeted since the beginning of the year, according to information posted on social media by Russian officials. These strikes have reduced Russia’s oil output—the world’s third-largest after the US and Saudi Arabia—adding pressure to Moscow’s federal budget.
Mental Health Crisis in Ukraine
Ukraine’s mental health crisis is palpable and growing amid the war, the World Health Organization warned, noting that the effects could be felt for generations. WHO representative in Ukraine, Jarno Habicht, cited data showing that 71% of people “have episodes of anxiety, stress, sleepless nights.”
Other Developments
- Greek investigators believe a military sea drone found on a Greek island last week went off course due to a technical failure and may not have travelled far, Reuters quoted sources as saying on Friday. The explosives-laden drone—which Greece says is Ukrainian, a claim Kyiv has denied—was discovered on the shores of Lefkada on 7 May, triggering diplomatic tensions between Athens and Kyiv.
- A Russian attack struck a grain terminal at a Ukrainian port, injuring seven people and causing other damage, Ukraine’s development ministry said on X on Friday, without specifying the port.
- German prosecutors said a German judge had enforced an arrest warrant against a Ukrainian national suspected of spying for Russia. The defendant, identified only as Sergey N, had been detained in Spain at the end of March and extradited to Germany on Thursday.
