Russia has massively attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with drones and ballistic missiles.
May 24, 2026, 10:23May 24, 2026, 10:30
According to authorities, at least two people were killed in the massive Russian attacks with combat drones and missiles in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. There were also at least 56 injured – 30 of them, including two children, are being treated in hospitals, as Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram this morning. Emergency services are in the process of clearing away the rubble of hit homes and damage.
A destroyed apartment in Kyiv after a Russian missile attack. (archive image)Image: keystone
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia deployed 90 rockets and cruise missiles as well as 600 drones of various types. A total of 604 targets were rendered harmless, including 54 rockets and cruise missiles and 549 drones, the air defense agency said. There were dozens of impacts by Russian flying objects, it was said.
Civil defense published photos and videos of massive destruction of civil infrastructure and large fires that emergency services extinguished. There had been air alerts and reports of explosions in various parts of the capital throughout the night and into the morning. The surrounding area of Kiev and other regions were also affected by the attacks.
Russia had threatened this strike in retaliation after the Ukrainian attack on a vocational school in the Moscow-occupied Luhansk region. On Friday, 21 students were killed and dozens more injured.
Other parts of Ukraine were also attacked. The full extent of the Russian attack wave and its consequences were not immediately foreseeable that night.
Air defense activated in Poland
In the western neighboring country of Poland, the military announced on Platform In Poland, the air defense system is repeatedly alerted during major attacks in Ukraine, and sometimes fighter jets from NATO partners also take off.
Zelensky: Russia used Oreshnik missile
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia has again used the Oreshnik medium-range missile, which is feared because of its destructive power – for the first time near the capital Kiev. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin fired the rocket against Bila Tserkva, Zelensky said in a video message published in Kiev this morning. The large city is located in the Kiev region.
The Oreshnik missile (in German: Haselstrauch), also deployed in Belarus by Moscow, can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. Their extremely high speed of up to 12,000 kilometers per hour and their range of up to 5,000 kilometers make them a potential danger for the entire European continent.
“This is really irresponsible. It is important that this does not remain without consequences for Russia,” said Zelensky. He did not provide any information about damage in Bila Tserkva. It was the third use of the weapon in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainian air defense had previously spoken of a combined attack with 600 drones, 90 rockets and cruise missiles. Oreshnik was initially not included in the list of ballistic missiles. There was no Russian confirmation of the use of the new weapon this morning. The Defense Ministry in Moscow usually comments on the weapons and targets used throughout the day.
(sda/dpa/con/hkl)