Russia carried out a massive overnight attack on Kyiv and several other locations in Ukraine with approximately 90 missiles and 600 drones. Images and videos from the capital show bombed-out buildings and widespread destruction. At least four people are reported dead and about 100 injured. SVT and Swedish Radio’s military expert Joakim Paasikivi describes the attack as Russian retaliation for Ukraine’s earlier strikes this week, including one on a student dormitory—a background that has received limited coverage in broader media reporting.

Earlier this week, Ukraine went to significant lengths in the media to highlight its successful attacks on several areas in the now Russian-controlled eastern regions, where a large number of Russian soldiers and security forces are said to have been killed or wounded.

According to the head of Ukraine’s drone forces, a training camp for Russian drone pilots was struck in the occupied city of Snizhne on Wednesday evening. The attack allegedly killed at least 65 cadets and an instructor, as reported by CNN among others.

Screenshot from Ukrainian drone strike. Photo: Ukrainian military / Facsimile CNN

On Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that further attacks targeted a headquarters belonging to the Russian security service and an air defense system in the occupied Kherson region.

According to Zelenskyy, close to 100 Russian soldiers and officials were killed or injured in the attacks, though he did not specify when the operations took place. The events were widely circulated in Western media and hailed as a major success.

Russia, on the other hand, claimed that among the targets struck in the Ukrainian attack was a student dormitory in Starobilsk in the Luhansk region, and has since released photos and video clips to support its assertion.

According to CNN’s reporting, six people were killed and 39 injured, while an additional 15 remain missing after the attack on the dormitory.

Furthermore, the Kremlin signaled during the week that the attack would be met with force. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the attack as an act of terror, according to news agency Reuters.

In the early hours of Sunday, the response came in the form of a large-scale strike with missiles and drones. According to media reports, Russia used, among other things, the hypersonic Oreshnik missile in the attack.

At the same time, Russia claims that the nighttime attacks targeted military objectives in Ukraine, including Ukrainian military headquarters and other strategic facilities.

Ukraine, however, maintains that the strikes primarily affected civilian areas, hitting, among other things, residential buildings and schools.

The large-scale attack involving hundreds of missile and drone strikes, according to Ukrainian sources, claimed four lives and left up to 100 people injured, as reported by Ukrainian media, including the Kyiv Independent.

SVT Expert: ‘Russia Wants to Make a Point’

The Swedish military expert and lieutenant colonel Joakim Paasikivi, who regularly appears in Swedish public media to comment on developments in the war, said on Sunday on Sveriges Radio that the major weekend attack did not come out of nowhere but should be seen as Russian retaliation.

“This tends to happen when Russia wants to signal something,” he said on SR Ekot.

Furthermore, Lieutenant Colonel Paasikivi stated that Ukraine is reported to have struck student housing in the Luhansk region, something Russia is now avenging with forceful retaliation against Zelenskyy.

“Ukraine has struck a target in Luhansk said to be some kind of school, and this is said to be the revenge,” the military expert said.

EU Leaders Omit This Week’s Attack

When reactions from European leaders and ministers began to emerge on Sunday, the statements were marked by strong criticism of Russia, with descriptions of indiscriminate attacks and accusations of terror against civilians in Ukraine.

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“Russia is making no progress on the battlefield. So they terrorize civilians,” says Sweden’s foreign minister, while Russia continues to control large parts of the regions it has claimed since the 2022 invasion.

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At the same time, reactions from European leaders and ministers have been characterized by the fact that few have publicly addressed the context that Russia itself refers to, namely that the attacks are described as retaliation for this week’s Ukrainian operations.

Instead, several EU leaders have called the developments a Russian escalation. Simultaneously, several military experts in the media, including Lieutenant Colonel Joakim Paasikivi, have described the attacks as a form of retribution or revenge from the Russian side.

“Terror against civilians is not strength. It is desperation,” stated EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

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EU’s Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas also described the attacks as acts of terror targeting civilians. Furthermore, she asserted that Russia is making no further progress in the war.

“These are abhorrent acts of terror intended to kill as many civilians as possible,” she wrote.

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Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the use of the Oreshnik, calling it a serious escalation of the war.

EU foreign ministers are expected to meet next week to discuss additional measures and sanctions against Russia following the attack.

Zelenskyy: EU and US Must Pressure Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who earlier in the week drew attention to Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets in eastern Ukraine, published a longer post on Sunday claiming that Russia is not interested in peace.

He further argued that both the US and EU must step up pressure on Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to achieve a peace settlement.

We are doing our best to achieve peace and protect people. It is important that Ukraine does not stand alone. Decisions are needed—from the US, from Europe and others—to finally get the old “Oreshnik” in Moscow to pronounce the word “peace.” Thanks to everyone who helps! Glory to Ukraine!

– Zelenskyy’s statement

See the full statement here: