On Sunday (May 24), the Ukrainian capital Kiev was hit by a large-scale attack involving Russian missiles and drones. It is believed that Russia used hypersonic missiles, known as the “Oreshnik” missile, to retaliate against Ukrainian drone attacks on its warships, oil facilities, and drone bases.
In the early hours of the morning in Kiev, around 1 o’clock, there were dozens of intense explosions, echoing throughout the city. Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated on Telegram that some of the missiles were not intercepted, resulting in damage to several residential buildings and a school building in the city center catching fire.
At least three people have been injured, and emergency personnel have been dispatched to handle medical emergencies in the historic Podil district.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously warned about the potential use of the “Oreshnik” missile by Russia based on intelligence provided by Ukrainian and Western partners. He highlighted Russia’s preparations to launch attacks involving a variety of weapons on the Ukrainian capital and territory, urging Ukrainian civilians to stay alert to air raid warnings and seek shelter in bomb shelters promptly.
Zelensky emphasized the global need for a substantial response to Russia’s use of such weapons and prolongation of the conflict to set a precedent for potential aggressors. He called for pressure on Moscow to prevent further escalation of the war.
Prior to the attack on Kiev, the US Embassy in Kiev had issued a security alert to American citizens in Ukraine, warning of potential major air raids within the next 24 hours. American citizens were advised to prepare in advance to seek shelter immediately upon air raid warnings.
Russia had previously used the “Oreshnik” missile to attack Ukraine twice, hitting the southeastern city of Dnipro in November 2024 and the infrastructure in the Lviv region near the Polish border on January 9 this year.
Just before the attack on Kiev, Russian President Putin had ordered the military to retaliate against Ukraine’s recent drone strikes.
Earlier, Russia had conducted 24-hour non-stop bombings on several Ukrainian cities, with a Kh-101 missile hitting an apartment building in Kiev directly, resulting in 24 deaths.
In retaliation, Ukraine dispatched long-range drones on the night of May 22nd to 23rd, successfully destroying Russian Novorossiysk and Grushovaya Balka oil storage facilities in an attempt to cut off Russia’s economic lifeline.
This attack also hit the Russian guard ships “Admiral Essen” and a 1239 missile air-cushioned craft stationed in Novorossiysk port, but the extent of damage is currently unclear.
The “Admiral Essen” is a Russian 11356R-class “Admiral” frigate belonging to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, commissioned in 2014. The ship had participated in missile attacks on Syria in 2017 and has been involved in military operations against Ukraine since 2022.
On the same day, a dormitory in the Russian-controlled town of Starobilsk in Luhansk was also targeted by drones, with conflicting claims from both Russian and Ukrainian sides.
The Ukrainian military stated that their target was the Russian elite drone unit “Rubicon” base inside the building and that the attack was conducted within the bounds of international humanitarian law.
Putin countered by claiming that there were students inside the building and no military facilities nearby. The attack resulted in 18 fatalities and 42 injuries. He vowed to retaliate against Ukraine, accusing Ukrainian military attacks on civilians of committing “war crimes,” and hours later, the massive bombing of Kiev by Russian forces commenced.