Russia uses hypersonic Oreshnik missile in mass attack on Kyiv
Russia's hypersonic Oreshnik missile strikes Kyiv, killing two.
NPR Topics: News1 min read
Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Kyiv kill at least four people
TL;DR
A large missile and drone attack by Russia on Kyiv has killed at least four people and injured over 60. The assault involved 600 drones and 90 missiles, with Ukrainian defenses intercepting many of them.
Key points
- Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv
- Four people were killed and over 60 wounded
- The attack involved 600 drones and 90 missiles
- Ukrainian defenses intercepted 549 drones and 55 missiles
- Explosions began just after 1am local time
Mentioned in this story
KyivUkrainian air force
Oreshnik ballistic missile
Russia has hit Kyiv and its surrounding areas with a large missile and drone attack, killing four people and wounding more than 60, Ukrainian authorities say, after Moscow had threatened retaliation for strikes in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
The explosions started just after 1am on Sunday (22:00 GMT on Saturday) after warnings by Ukraine’s air force that Russia might launch a hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile.
The attack included 600 drones and 90 air-, sea- and ground-launched missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force. Ukrainian air defences destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles, and 19 missiles failed to reach targets, the air force said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people were killed in the capital and 56 wounded. The head of the surrounding Kyiv region said two people were also killed there and nine wounded.
Firefighters work at the site of an apartment building destroyed by a Russian missile and drone strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 24, 2026 [Reuters]
Damage was recorded in 40 locations across several districts of the capital, including residential buildings, Kyiv military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said in a Telegram post.
“The capital has come under a mass ballistic missile attack,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had used the Oreshnik missile, which is difficult to intercept, in the bombardment.
Ukrainian authorities and the US embassy had earlier warned of an attack on Kyiv after Russia said it would “punish” those responsible for deadly strikes in a part of eastern Ukraine under its control, which Moscow said hit a college dormitory and killed at least 18 people.
Launched overnight on Thursday into Friday, the drone salvo – one of Ukraine’s deadliest such strikes in months – also wounded 42 people in Starobilsk in the occupied Luhansk region, trapping people beneath the debris.
In Kyiv, officials reported damage to offices, shops and the foyer of a metro station. In the city’s Independence Square, a post office was damaged.
Q&A
How many people were killed in the recent Russian attack on Kyiv?
At least four people were killed in the recent Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv.
What types of weapons were used in the attack on Kyiv?
The attack involved 600 drones and 90 air-, sea-, and ground-launched missiles.
What did Ukrainian air defenses achieve during the attack?
Ukrainian air defenses successfully destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles during the attack.
