Overview
- Ukraine and multiple news agencies said the attack involved roughly 600 strike drones and about 90 missiles, and that the salvo reached Kyiv on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
- Ukraine’s air force reported it intercepted the majority of threats, saying roughly 549 drones and 55 missiles were shot down while some rounds and drones still struck buildings across many Kyiv districts.
- Officials confirmed Russia fired an Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range missile that hit Bila Tserkva, a weapon capable of Mach‑10 speeds and designed to defeat some defenses.
- Rescue services and city officials reported multiple civilian deaths, scores of injuries, and damage to homes, schools, markets, cultural institutions and utilities across Kyiv and the surrounding region.
- Western leaders condemned the attack and urged stepped-up air‑defense support; analysts warn the salvo both signals Russian retaliation for recent strikes on occupied territory and raises risks of further escalation while exposing Ukraine’s interceptor shortfall.