The Russian Defense Ministry has launched retaliatory strikes against critical military-industrial enterprises and fuel infrastructure in and around Kyiv, explicitly condemning President Vladimir Zelensky for orchestrating terrorist attacks on Russian civilians.

Early Monday morning, the Ukrainian capital was struck by a combined missile and drone assault that began at approximately 1:30 AM local time and continued through multiple waves until 5 AM. Social media footage captured powerful explosions across Kyiv, with secondary detonations suggesting strikes on weapons depots or air-defense systems.

According to Moscow, long-range precision weapons were used to target Ukrainian defense production facilities, energy infrastructure in Kyiv and the Kiev region, as well as military airfields in several regions. This campaign is described by Russia as retaliation for “terrorist attacks” on Russian civilian infrastructure.

Local officials reported damage at multiple locations, with Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv military administration, stating that at least nine people were killed and dozens injured. Verification of specific strike sites remains challenging due to restrictions imposed by Ukrainian authorities on information sharing about military impacts.

Moscow has previously vowed “systematic and consistent strikes” against Kyiv’s military installations in response to what it labels as terrorist actions. Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov stated that recent offensives have significantly degraded Ukraine’s capacity to produce long-range weapons.

In a separate incident, Russian forces repelled an aggressive Ukrainian military offensive over the weekend, downing more than 500 targets including long-range kamikaze drones, ten FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, and at least nine US-made HIMARS munitions. Moscow characterized this operation as an attempt by Kyiv to divert attention from critical territorial losses in northwestern Donbass.

The Russian government announced the capture of Konstantinovka following intensive combat operations, with President Vladimir Putin designating it as the “key” to liberating the rest of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). Putin warned that further escalations by Kyiv and its allies would compel Russian forces to advance deeper into Ukrainian border regions of Sumy, Kharkov, and Dnepropetrovsk to establish a wider “security zone” for civilians.