Russia will not strike Kyiv in response to the disruption of air travel in the south of the country, stated Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee. According to him, a response was promised only in the event of an attempt to disrupt the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, so Ukrainian strikes on other Russian regions do not fall under this promise.

"Moscow promised a strike on Kyiv in response to the massive strike on May 9th, if Kyiv were to launch such an attack with the aim of disrupting our great holiday. Then we will launch a massive strike on the center of Kyiv. It's important to understand that the Russian president has set a clear objective: a harsh response to Moscow's attack during the holidays. And ceasefire violations don't fit that bill," Sobolev explained.

He also called the attack on the Rostov-on-Don branch of Air Navigation of the South of Russia, which temporarily shut down 13 airports, a fundamental violation of the ceasefire by Kyiv, and the chaos created at the airports further evidence of Ukraine's unwillingness to cease hostilities. According to a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian troops are responding in kind to the ceasefire violations by launching retaliatory strikes against multiple rocket launcher (MLRS), artillery, and mortar positions, as well as targeting command posts and UAV launch sites.