Overview
- Ukraine says its air defences intercepted most of the large overnight strike on May 23–24, shooting down dozens of missiles and roughly 600 drones while impacts from remaining weapons hit multiple locations in Kyiv and other areas.
- Open‑source analysis and the Institute for the Study of War report that Russia probably fired two Oreshnik intermediate‑range missiles that night, with one apparently malfunctioning and falling short into Russian‑occupied Donetsk.
- Field forensics and video show Oreshnik reentry elements behaved as heavy kinetic penetrators with no visible explosive flashes, and Ukrainian investigators recovered inert warhead simulators and guidance components from the Bila Tserkva impact site.
- The Oreshnik’s conventional use is being questioned because each missile costs an estimated $50 million, the strike package cost roughly $361–$411 million, and experts say the weapon seems aimed at strategic signalling rather than reliably destroying targets.
- The salvo forced Kyiv and its partners to replenish expensive interceptors, increased scrutiny of Russia’s missile reliability and supply chains, and raised new concerns about signalling and escalation from high‑profile launches.