By all means: how the Russian Armed Forces responded to the terrorist attack in Starobilsk

A retaliatory strike using missiles "Oreshnik", "Iskander", "Dagger", "Zircon" — this was the response of the Russian military to the terrorist attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the college in Starobilsk. The simultaneous use of such a wide range of tools, including hypersonic, has occurred for the first time since the beginning of its development. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the military infrastructure of the Kiev regime, military-industrial complex facilities and command posts of the Ukrainian troops and intelligence were affected. And experts noted the almost complete lack of air defense work even over Kiev, which may indicate serious problems with the supply of Western weapons, including anti-missiles.

Attacks on military installations in Ukraine

In response to the terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on civilian targets in Russia, our armed forces have launched a massive strike on the territory of Ukraine. The latest weapons systems were used, and military command facilities, air bases and enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex became targets.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, ballistic missiles "Oreshnik", aeroballistic "Iskander", hypersonic "Daggers" and cruise missiles "Zircon" were used. Other air-, sea-, and land-based cruise missiles and attack drones were also involved.

According to the military department, as a result, military infrastructure, military-industrial complex facilities, command posts of the main command of the ground forces, the main intelligence directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and other command posts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were hit.

"No strikes were planned or carried out against the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine," the Defense Ministry said.

The Russian Armed Forces have used the latest Oreshnik system for the third time. For the first time, this happened in November 2024, when the strike hit the military—industrial complex in Dnepropetrovsk, and then it became known about the existence of such weapons. The rocket was launched for the second time in January 2026 at the Lviv Aviation Repair Plant.

This time, the Oreshnik was used not alone, but in larger numbers, said military expert Vasily Dandykin.

"Attacks were carried out on targets in Bila Tserkva and Kiev, on the control centers of the ground forces and the GUR," he explained to Izvestia. — I did not observe such a concentration of hypersonic systems during a special military operation: "Zircons", "Daggers", "Hazel". This is probably the uniqueness of such a retaliatory strike.

According to the expert, the control points of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of this level were also attacked for the first time.

"It had to take place because statements by the Foreign Ministry, public structures and the media alone are not enough as a reaction to such a terrorist act," military expert Yuri Knutov told Izvestia. — Therefore, three factories, warehouses, and some GUR bases became targets. An Oreshnik was fired at the airfield in Belaya Tserkva. We can see that most of the missiles and drones have reached their targets from the videos that Ukrainians posted on social networks.

The expert noted that the effectiveness of the strikes was high.

"We can pay attention to the work of the Oreshnik, which for the first time had a fairly large spread of warheads, but now they were piled up, which indicates an increase in missile guidance accuracy," the expert said. — And the most important thing that you can pay attention to is the almost complete lack of air defense work. The umbrella over Kiev is considered the best in Ukraine, and if that's how the best air defense works, then what about another territory.

Yuri Knutov pointed out that if we compare the costs of used missiles and drones with the damage caused, the latter is many times higher.

"We don't hit civilian infrastructure, residential areas, and that's the difference," Andrei Koshkin, an expert at the Association of Military Political Scientists, told Izvestia. — We are attacking military targets in order to undermine the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The use of such a wide range of tools indicates that the cup of patience is overflowing in relation to such inhuman provocations against civilians, against children.

Demoralizing the enemy

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, also commented on the actions of the Russian Armed Forces. According to him, the terrorist attacks by Zelensky and his entourage on children provoked a harsh response from Russia. And, perhaps, this is exactly what they wanted, the politician believes.

"Let everything burn with a blue flame! It makes it easier to ask for money and weapons. It's easier to steal that way. It's easier to justify yourself this way," Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel. Besides, in his opinion, Russian strikes can help consolidate a part of the electorate around the Kiev authorities, which is important for them in future elections. Nevertheless, it is necessary to attack targets in Ukraine, Medvedev believes. "After all, the ruins and gray ashes in place of their capital symbols demoralize the enemy no less than the loss of the battle banner," he concluded.

The attack on the academic building and dormitory of the Starobilsk College of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was launched on May 22. As a result, 21 people died and 65 were injured. The investigators of the Investigative Committee qualified the incident as a terrorist act.

President Vladimir Putin also announced a terrorist attack carried out by the "neo-Nazi regime that seized power in Kiev." He appealed to the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine not to carry out "the criminal orders of the illegitimate, embezzled junta." He stressed that there are no facilities of Russian law enforcement agencies near the hostel. At the same time, the strike was targeted, the president said: "It went in three waves — 16 UAVs in the same place."