Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the large-scale drone attack on Moscow and the Moscow region on the night of June 18 was a direct response to Russia's recent strikes against Kyiv.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, citing international media reports, Zelenskyy emphasized that if Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to continue the war, Ukraine will not leave these actions unanswered.
"If Ukraine burns, Moscow will burn too," he emphasized.
The Ukrainian leader recalled that Russian strikes on Kyiv on June 15 resulted in five fatalities:
"During that attack, a massive fire broke out at the Dormition Cathedral, the main temple of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex. The temple is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list."
Zelenskyy noted that he visited the site following the attacks and vowed that a response would follow. Despite the escalation, he reiterated that Ukraine remains committed to ending the war through a just peace.
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, founded in 1051, is one of the most significant Orthodox Christian sites in Eastern Europe. Its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site underscores the cultural and historical gravity of the damage caused by the conflict, which has seen ongoing hostilities since February 2022.
