Albares condemns Russia’s latest massive attacks on Ukraine, which left 13 dead

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares condemned on Tuesday the latest Russian missile and drone attacks on various locations in Ukraine, which left at least thirteen dead. In response, his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, thanked Spain for its "firm and clear stance" regarding the conflict. "I condemn the new Russian missile and drone attacks against Ukraine that have caused civilian casualties," Albares posted on social media. "Russia must stop its aggression, respect international humanitarian law, and agree to negotiate a peace in accordance with the UN Charter," he continued. "Faced with this escalation, Spain stands with Ukraine," he concluded. "Thank you, José Manuel Albares, for your firm and clear stance," Sybiha wrote. “Russia’s relentless missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian civilians are deliberate terror and a flagrant violation of international law. The aggressor must be stopped and held fully accountable for its crimes,” he warned. “Ukraine deeply appreciates Spain’s continued solidarity and calls for increased pressure on the Kremlin,” he added. At least thirteen people were killed and more than one hundred wounded as a result of a “massive and combined” Russian land, sea, and air attack carried out in the early hours of Tuesday against seven regions of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The Air Force specified that 73 missiles and 656 drones were used in the offensive, one of the most intense since the start of the war in February 2022. The Russian Ministry of Defense has asserted that the attacks targeted military objectives in response to “terrorist acts” carried out within Russia. At the end of May, the Russian government announced the imminent start of a campaign of attacks against Ukrainian state decision-making centers, and Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that the war had entered a new phase as a consequence of the Ukrainian attack on May 22 against a student dormitory in Luhansk, in which 21 people died, including several minors. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced “the Russian night attack against our cities and communities” and stated that “the main blow was in Kyiv, where dozens of residential buildings and other purely civilian infrastructure were damaged again.” “In total, during the night, Russia launched 656 attack drones and 73 missiles of different types—ballistic, cruise, and anti-ship—against our people. A large-scale attack and an absolutely transparent declaration from Russia: if Ukraine is not protected against ballistic and other missile strikes, these attacks will continue,” he continued. “Europe needs its own anti-ballistic missiles so that this war can finally end, and the United States’ assistance in supplying Patriot missiles is absolutely essential. We are counting on the support of our partners and on effective responses to today’s attack,” he added. Agreement between Spain and Ukraine on Technical and Financial Cooperation The Council of Ministers approved on Tuesday the agreement to submit to the Spanish Parliament the Agreement between the Kingdom of Spain and the Government of Ukraine on technical and financial cooperation and to authorize Spain's expression of consent to be bound by said Agreement. According to the Spanish Government, the reconstruction of Ukraine has become a strategic priority for the European Union, structured around the Ukraine Facility, a financial program with a budget of €50 billion between 2024 and 2027 for budget support, investment, and technical assistance, through a combination of loans and grants. Furthermore, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have signed a guarantee program that will allow the EIB Group to invest at least an additional €2 billion in urgent recovery and reconstruction projects. In November 2025, the Council of Ministers announced an €817 million package comprising military, financial, and humanitarian resources, of which approximately €200 million will be channeled through a new financial instrument managed by the Office for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, aimed at infrastructure projects in sectors such as energy, transportation, and water management. On March 10, 2026, the Council of Ministers authorized the signing and provisional implementation of this agreement, which was signed on March 18, 2026, in Madrid. The Agreement on Technical and Financial Cooperation establishes the legal framework to facilitate the implementation of technical and financial assistance programs and projects in Ukraine, financed wholly or partially by Spain.

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