Lavrov warns of major retaliation as Putin hosts Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan
Russia has strongly condemned Ukraine’s latest long-range strike, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warning that Moscow will respond with a large-scale retaliatory operation.
Lavrov described the attack as a serious escalation and stated that Russia would not leave the incident unanswered, raising expectations of another major wave of missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended the operation, arguing that Russia must face the consequences of a war that has repeatedly brought destruction to Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure.
The incident comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting leaders from Southeast Asia in the city of Kazan. While the Kremlin has not yet released a direct statement from Putin regarding the attack, the timing has drawn significant attention as Moscow seeks to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with Asian partners.
Analysts say the strike has placed the conflict in full view of visiting regional leaders, underscoring that despite ongoing diplomatic engagements, the war between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate far beyond the front lines.
