Russia struck the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with a series of missile attacks overnight. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, four people were killed — two in the city and two in the suburbs — and 56 others were wounded, including several children. Klitschko urged residents to stay in shelters. A total of 40 buildings were damaged, and fires broke out in several districts, one near the government quarter.
The Ukrainian air force confirmed the use of hypersonic missiles and cruise missiles. Communications chief Yuriy Ihnat told RBK-Ukraine that Russia also fired an Oreshnik intermediate-range missile from the Kapustin Yar training ground. The missile landed about 80 kilometers south of Kyiv near Bila Tserkva. Poland preemptively secured its airspace in response, a standard procedure during major attacks that can include the scrambling of NATO fighter jets.
According to Russia, the attack was retaliation for a Ukrainian strike on a dormitory in Starobilsk in the Luhansk region, which reportedly killed at least 18 students. Vladimir Putin had demanded a response. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had warned the previous evening of an imminent attack using the Oreshnik missile and called on the international community to take preventive measures.
EuroPulse reported on May 23, 2026, on the deployment of Ukrainian drone units near the Russian border: With Drones Against Russia: A Day with the Lava Brigade Near the Border.
Source: www.zeit.de
