Overview
- A massive overnight strike on May 23–24 included hundreds of drones and scores of missiles and likely featured two Oreshnik intermediate‑range ballistic missiles according to the ISW and open‑source investigators.
- Ukrainian air defenses reported they neutralized 55 missiles and 549 drones during the attack while impacts were recorded at 54 locations across the country.
- Video and expert analysis show Oreshnik reentry vehicles releasing multiple glowing, high‑speed projectiles that appear to lack explosive warheads and depend on kinetic energy to damage targets.
- Open‑source footage and ISW assessment indicate one Oreshnik malfunctioned and crashed in Russian‑held Donetsk, raising fresh questions about the system’s reliability after earlier apparent misses.
- Ukraine’s ArmyInform values the strike package at roughly $361 million and up to $411 million if two Oreshniks were used, a cost that analysts say points to signalling and propaganda aims more than precise battlefield effect and that may increase pressure for more Western air‑defense support.