Overview
- Kyiv and nearby towns were hit early Sunday by a large overnight assault that Ukraine says included about 600 strike drones and roughly 90 missiles, with officials reporting at least four people killed and dozens wounded.
- Ukraine's air force said defenders destroyed or jammed the bulk of the attack, reporting 549 drones and 55 missiles intercepted or jammed while about 19 missiles failed to reach targets.
- Ukrainian and Western intelligence gave unusually specific warnings on May 23 about a possible Oreshnik launch, and both Kyiv and Moscow later confirmed the hypersonic Oreshnik was used in the barrage.
- Strikes damaged homes, schools, markets and cultural sites across roughly 40 locations in the capital region, forcing residents into shelters and keeping emergency crews busy with rescue and recovery operations.
- The assault drew widespread condemnation, renewed Kyiv's calls for urgent anti‑ballistic systems, and raised concerns that repeated use of the Oreshnik — the third reported deployment in the war — could heighten the conflict's escalation risk.