KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial bombardments in the last year, pummeling the Ukrainian capital and surrounding areas with a massive wave of 90 missiles and 600 strike drones early Sunday morning, May 24, 2026. The devastating assault left at least four people dead, injured dozens, and inflicted widespread structural damage across every district of Kyiv.

Air raid sirens echoed for hours as powerful explosions shook the city center, forcing thousands of panicked residents to seek safety in underground shelters and metro stations. Ukraine's Air Force reported that while air defense systems managed to intercept 55 missiles and 549 drones, the shear volume of the barrage overwhelmed defenses in several sectors.

According to local authorities, the attack resulted in over 50 casualties split across the area, including at least three children. Inside the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that two people were killed and dozens more wounded. Meanwhile, in the wider Kyiv region, regional head Mykola Kalashnyk reported an additional two deaths outside city limits, condemning the assault as "deliberate terror against peaceful people."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the barrage involved Russia's highly touted, nuclear-capable hypersonic "Oreshnik" ballistic missile, which targeted the city of Bila Tserkva in the central Kyiv region.

"Three Russian missiles against a water supply facility, a market burnt down, dozens of residential buildings damaged, several ordinary schools, and he [Putin] launched his 'Oreshnik'..." Zelenskyy stated on Telegram, calling the Russian leadership "genuinely deranged."

The Russian Defense Ministry later confirmed it had deployed the Oreshnik alongside Iskander, Kinzhal, and Tsirkon missiles, claiming the strikes successfully targeted Ukrainian air bases and military command facilities.

Emergency crews rushed across the capital as falling debris and direct impacts sparked blazes at more than 40 separate locations.

A direct strike on a nine-story residential building in the central Shevchenkivsky district killed one resident after fires broke out on the upper floors. In the same district, a strike near a school blocked the entrance to its air raid shelter, briefly trapping civilians inside.

Beyond residential areas, the blast waves damaged several of Ukraine's most prominent cultural landmarks in the central districts, including the National Art Museum, the Kyiv Opera Theater, and the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Dynamo Stadium. Supermarkets, warehouses, and a shopping center were also severely damaged.

The Kremlin openly stated that the massive bombardment was an act of retaliation. Russian President Vladimir Putin had vowed to "punish" Ukraine following a Friday drone strike on a college dormitory in Russian-occupied Starobilsk, which Moscow claims killed 21 people. While Ukraine’s military acknowledged striking the area, they maintained that the target was an elite Russian military unit rather than civilian infrastructure.

As emergency services continue clearing rubble and restoring power to affected sectors, Ukrainian officials warn that the threat of further ballistic missile strikes remains critical.