Kyiv - Russia launched one of its most intense aerial bombardments of the Ukrainian capital on Sunday, 24 May 2026, deploying its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile alongside hundreds of drones in an overnight assault on Kyiv, killing at least four people, wounded more than 80, and damaged dozens of residential buildings, schools, and a historic food market.
The attack marked only the third time Russia has used the Oreshnik in the four-year conflict and one of heaviest attacks on Kyiv since Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine in February 2022.
The United States classifies the missile as an intermediate-range ballistic weapon capable of carrying multiple conventional or nuclear warheads. Its speed and trajectory make it virtually unstoppable by the air defense systems currently available to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Oreshnik struck near the city of Bila Tserkva in central Ukraine and delivered a pointed reaction: "They're really out of their minds", adding that Russia had also targeted water-supply facilities, accusing Moscow of attempting to damage them ahead of rising summer demand.
Ukrainian officials said the hours-long overnight barrage destroyed dozens of residential buildings and several schools. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko confirmed a school building was struck while civilians sheltered inside.
In the Shevchenko district, a five-story residential building was hit, triggering a fire that killed one person, according to Ukraine's state emergency service. Local authorities also reported supermarkets and warehouses across the city were damaged.
The Kremlin insisted the aerial assault targeted only Ukrainian military facilities and stated that the attack as a response to what it called "terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian military against civilian facilities." Ukraine denies targeting civilians when attacking Russia.
Russia's defense ministry confirmed it used the Oreshnik, as well as Iskander, Kinzhal, and Zircon missiles, claiming strikes on Ukrainian military command and control facilities and air bases.
The assault came after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, 21 May condemned a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, ordering the military to prepare proposals for retaliation.
