Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine’s capital early Sunday, deploying approximately 600 drones and 90 missiles that killed at least two people and injured 77 across every district of the city, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed. The assault included the Oreshnik, a powerful hypersonic ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted the majority of the incoming drones and more than half of the missiles, according to Ukraine’s air force. Despite those efforts, the strikes caused widespread destruction, including the obliteration of the museum dedicated to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the burning of one of Kyiv’s oldest markets.
Escalation Ahead of Stalled Negotiations
The extensive barrage came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned citizens that a large-scale Oreshnik strike was imminent, citing intelligence received from both European and American partners. In a video posted Sunday, Zelenskyy confirmed that an Oreshnik missile hit Bila Tserkva, a city roughly 50 miles south of the capital. This marks only the third use of the weapon since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed via Telegram that it had deployed the Oreshnik. The Russian military stated the strike was retaliation for what it alleged was a Ukrainian drone attack on a college in Starobilsk, an eastern town under Russian occupation. Ukraine’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported at least 21 killed and 42 injured in that incident. Kyiv has denied targeting the educational facility.
International Response and Diplomatic Stalemate
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack in a statement posted to social media, announcing that the EU would send additional air defense support to Ukraine. “Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine last night shows the Kremlin’s brutality and disregard for both human life and peace negotiations,” she wrote.
Ukraine’s culture minister Tetyana Berezhna said the May 24 strikes damaged the highest number of cultural institutions in Kyiv since the 2022 invasion began. The loss of the Chernobyl museum carries particular symbolic weight, as the site commemorates the worst nuclear accident in history.
Energy Infrastructure Under Pressure
The aerial assault occurs against a broader backdrop of disrupted diplomatic efforts. Negotiations to end the war have stalled as Washington faces competing priorities related to military operations in the Middle East. The Trump administration has simultaneously eased certain sanctions on Russian oil exports to compensate for energy supply constraints.
Ukrainian forces have responded with their own long-range operations, using domestically produced drones to strike oil refineries, depots, and logistics hubs within Russian territory and occupied areas. A Ukrainian military operator known by the callsign Uki told NPR that these strikes represent how Ukraine can “impose effective sanctions to force Russia into a just and lasting peace.”