Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, resulting in at least one death, over 20 injuries, and damage across multiple parts of the city. This followed President Vladimir Putin's threat to retaliate against Ukraine after a drone strike on a student dormitory in occupied territory killed 18 people.
The Russian military began a large-scale air assault on Kyiv, causing a series of loud explosions that echoed through the city. The blasts prompted residents to flee in panic to seek shelter in the central subway stations.
Tymur Myrkochenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, announced via Telegram that the capital was targeted by numerous ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and attack drones. More than 40 locations across the city were hit, resulting in at least one confirmed death and 21 injuries.
Vitaliy Klitschko, mayor of Kyiv, stated that debris from the fallen missiles and drones ignited large fires in several properties, including residential buildings, warehouses, supermarkets, and shopping centers. The damage was spread across all districts of Kyiv.
Reports indicate the deceased was a resident of a nine-story apartment building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, central Kyiv, where a missile strike caused a fire on the upper floors. In the same district, an explosion near an air-raid shelter bunker at a school caused debris to block entrances, trapping several people inside a commercial building and evacuation center. Among the injured were a 15-year-old boy and 13 patients urgently hospitalized, with three in critical condition.
This Russian attack came after the Russian Foreign Ministry and President Vladimir Putin vowed to "severely and inevitably punish" Ukraine in response to a drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobilsk, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, under Russian occupation, on the night of 21 May.
The strike caused a five-story building to collapse. The Russian Emergency Ministry reported recovering 18 bodies so far, with 42 injured. Most of the deceased and missing are young women aged approximately 18 to 23. The United Nations strongly condemned the attack on civilians and non-military infrastructure.
However, the Ukrainian military denied targeting civilians, insisting that the operation in Starobilsk was aimed at striking Russian drone unit bases.
One day before the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued high-level warnings to the public, citing clear intelligence from Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. indicating Moscow’s preparation for a large-scale combined attack within 24 hours.
The Ukrainian leader noted the possibility that Russia might deploy the latest hypersonic intercontinental missile, "Oreshnik," capable of carrying nuclear warheads. This missile travels over ten times the speed of sound and currently cannot be intercepted by existing air defense systems. However, initial reports have not confirmed the use of Oreshnik missiles in the early morning operation on 24 May.
Rescue and debris clearance operations in Kyiv continue amid international efforts, led by the United States, to negotiate an end to the prolonged conflict that has lasted over four years. These efforts have recently slowed as Washington's focus shifts to crises in the Middle East.