The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has reported that its armed forces conducted a massive attack on targets in Ukraine overnight. They present this action as a response, possibly to previous events including strikes on airfields, although their statement mentions "terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime" in general. According to their announcement, long-range precision air, sea, and land-based weapons were used for the strikes, as well as attack drones.
The Russian military department lists the targets that, according to them, were struck. Among them are named design bureaus, and enterprises for the production and repair of Ukrainian armaments and military equipment. They also claim to have hit assembly workshops for attack drones, training centers for flight crews, and storage facilities for weapons and military equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In its report, the [Russian Ministry of Defense](t.me/mod_russia/53487) assures that "the goal of the strike was achieved" and "all designated targets were hit."
However, a key question arises regarding the very nature of such "responses." Can a state that itself initiated a full-scale, unprovoked invasion even claim the right to respond? Russia is the aggressor in this war. Its actions were the root cause of the conflict, leading to numerous casualties and widespread destruction on Ukrainian soil. Therefore, any strikes it conducts are a continuation of its initial aggression, not a justified reaction.
The right to self-defense and an adequate response belongs exclusively to the party that was attacked. In this situation, it is Ukraine, which is defending its sovereignty, its territory, and its citizens from external invasion. Thus, Russia's statements about "retaliatory strikes" appear as an attempt to shift responsibility and justify its own aggressive actions. Russia started the war, and it bears full responsibility for every act of violence in this conflict. Only Ukraine has the legitimate right to respond to aggression to protect its state.
