Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv hits back after deadly Russian strikes

WorldPolitics
15 May 2026 • 11:14 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv hits back after deadly Russian strikes

  • A huge fire broke out at a Russian oil refinery in Ryazan following Ukrainian drone attacks, with Ukraine's drone forces commander claiming hits on 23 military targets.
  • Three people were also killed and 12 injured in Ryazan, where drone strikes damaged high-rise apartment buildings and local industry.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for Moscow to be punished after visiting a destroyed Kyiv residential building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three children.
  • Russia's prison chief reported a significant drop in the country's prison population, partly attributed to the army's recruitment drive, which has seen prisoners sent to the Ukraine frontline.
  • The Pentagon cancelled plans to temporarily deploy 4,000 US-based troops to Poland, a decision that renews questions about troop cuts in Europe.

IN FULL