Kyiv, May 24 (SANA) Russian forces carried out a large-scale attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and its outskirts on Sunday, in what Ukrainian officials described as one of the heaviest strikes since the conflict began more than four years ago.
Ukraine said Russia launched approximately 90 missiles and 600 drones in a coordinated assault, including the “Oreshnik” hypersonic ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It marked the third known use of that weapon since the start of the war in February 2022.
The attacks killed four people and injured more than 80 others, according to Ukrainian authorities, and damaged dozens of residential buildings and several schools.
Dead and wounded, rescue operations ongoing
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, quoted by Reuters, said two people were killed and 69 injured in the capital alone, adding that fire and rescue teams are working to extinguish blazes and clear rubble.
In the broader Kyiv region, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported two more deaths and nine injuries. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said 11 people were wounded in the central city of Cherkasy after a drone hit a residential building.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an Oreshnik missile struck the city of Bila Tserkva, south of Kyiv, adding that he had warned of a possible attack a day earlier based on Ukrainian and Western intelligence.
Images from central Kyiv showed shattered windows at the foreign ministry building, damage to Independence Square, and the collapsed front facade of a five-story residential building in the Shevchenko district. Black smoke rose over several neighborhoods as emergency crews continued firefighting and evacuation efforts.
Conflicting accounts
Zelenskyy said the strikes targeted “critical civilian infrastructure,” including water supply facilities, and called on the United States and Europe to take “deterrent steps” against Moscow.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, however, said its attacks hit Ukrainian military facilities, including command centers, air bases, and ground and intelligence forces positions. Moscow said the strikes were in response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian sites inside Russia — an allegation Kyiv denied.
The escalation comes as international efforts to broker a ceasefire have stalled, raising concerns that the conflict could enter an even more dangerous phase, particularly with the use of advanced high-destructive weaponry.
KhA / H.H
