‘There are no rules now’: Zelenskyy says Putin lifted all restrictions on airstrikes against Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has lifted all restrictions on airstrikes targeting civilian areas in Ukraine. Intelligence intercepted by Kyiv revealed this change in Russian military strategy, which led to a significant rise in strikes against Ukrainian civilians. Analysts believe this shift in tactics is intended to regain an advantage in the ongoing war.

Zelenskyy cited intercepted communications from Kremlin officials, explaining that Putin declared, "There are no rules anymore" during a September meeting. The president accused Putin of switching to "mass attacks, mass killings" after failing to capture the Donbas region. These intensified and indiscriminate raids were aimed at intimidating civilians, driving them from their homes, and weakening Ukraine's capacity to continue the conflict.

Prior to this escalation, Russia primarily targeted energy and military infrastructure in Ukraine, resulting in retaliatory strikes from Kyiv. However, the recent wave of Russian airstrikes has expanded to include infrastructure farther from the front lines, such as schools, hospitals, and data centers. Ukrainian authorities stated that Russian drones are no longer limited to targeting civilians in Kherson and Sumy, but also strike key infrastructure across the country.

The Financial Times confirmed a recent strike on a school in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district on October 1. The wreckage of the Russian drone used in the attack bore markings from Russian manufacturers and contained handwritten text in Russian. Some components of the drone had been manufactured in Russia on July 28, while others appeared to have been produced in Western markets.

Since late August 2026, Russian forces have been launching continuous attacks on Kyiv and surrounding Oblast using drones, including jet-powered UAVs, and ballistic missiles. These large-scale strikes have targeted civilian warehouses, logistics facilities, shopping centers, office buildings, and data centers. On October 1, Russian forces damaged the Pivdennyi Bridge in Kyiv, halting all traffic.

On October 2, Russian forces struck the school in Kyiv's Solomianskyi district for the second time, causing no casualties despite students and teachers being in a shelter at the time. The following night, Russian forces attacked Kyiv once more, striking the Pivdennyi Bridge for the third time and hitting an apartment building in the Darnytskyi district, resulting in one fatality.