KYIV: President Volodymyr Zelensky promised retribution against Moscow on Friday after laying red roses at the rubble of a Kyiv apartment building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three children.

Aboard Air Force One on his way back from China, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the strikes on the Ukrainian capital, launched hours after a three-day US-brokered ceasefire expired, could disrupt efforts to find a diplomatic resolution of the war.

Search operations were called off at the devastated building, which was struck on Thursday during Russia’s heaviest bombardment of the Ukrainian capital this year.

“Ukraine will not allow any of the aggressor’s strikes that take the lives of our people to go unpunished,” Zelensky said after meeting top military and intelligence officials to discuss retaliatory long-range strikes.

“We are entirely justified in our responses against Russia’s oil industry, weapons industry, and those directly responsible for committing war crimes against Ukraine and Ukrainians.”

Zelensky had earlier visited the site of the attack in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, on the left bank of the Dnipro River, laying flowers and talking to rescue workers.

‘Flames and an abyss’

Russia had launched more than 1,500 drones and dozens of missiles at targets in Ukraine over two consecutive days, according to Ukrainian officials. Six people were also killed in western Ukraine, far from the front line.

Moscow’s defence ministry said its forces had carried out massive strikes on Ukraine on May 12-15, the Russian state news agency RIA reported.

“When we opened the front door, we saw flames and an abyss. Half the staircase and the apartment across the hall were completely gone,” Oksana Honcharenko, 57, said at the scene. “We survived, but this pain is indescribable. It’s heartbreaking.”

She added: “We didn’t do anything to deserve this - why are our little children dying? We all pray and ask so much for this horror to end.”

Kyiv officials declared Friday a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast across the city of three million.

Diplomats show solidarity

Entertainments were cancelled or postponed. Residents brought flowers, stuffed animals and sweets to a makeshift memorial at the destroyed housing block, where about 20 Western diplomats came to show solidarity.

“It’s really shocking to see that nearly as soon as the temporary cessation of hostilities for a few days was over, the Russians are going on with things like this,” said French Ambassador Gael Veyssiere.

“It demonstrates again that they are definitely not interested in any kind of peace discussions right now.”

Ukraine’s interior ministry said hundreds of rescuers had sifted through 3,000 cubic metres of rubble in 28 hours. Officials said 24 bodies had been recovered and about 30 people rescued alive.

“My friend lived on the second floor. They found her around 7pm - along with her husband,” said Tetiana Prudyus, 34, who had brought red roses and was holding back tears. “I want to say one thing,” she said. “Even after this, we won’t surrender. We’re a very strong nation.” Zelensky said initial analysis showed the building had been hit by a recently made Russian Kh-101 missile.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026