Russia hits Ukraine with Oreshnik missile in one of war’s biggest attacks on Kyiv

KYIV – Russia pounded Kyiv and surrounding areas with hundreds of drones and missiles on May 24 in one of the heaviest bombardments of the city since the start of the four-year war, firing an Oreshnik hypersonic missile near the capital.

Russia’s hours-long overnight barrage killed four people and wounded more than 80, according to Ukrainian officials. Dozens of residential buildings and several schools were damaged, they said.

“It was a terrible night for Kyiv,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram message from the site of one attack. “Right now, rescuers are putting out fires and clearing debris. Medics are providing assistance to the victims.”

Nuclear-capable Oreshnik

It was only the third time Kremlin has used the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine since the war began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Oreshnik has a range of several thousand kilometres and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The previous two strikes hit major cities, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this one had struck Bila Tserkva, a city of 200,000 people about 64km from the outskirts of Kyiv.

In total, Russia launched 90 missiles and 600 drones, said the air force.

“It’s important that this does not remain without consequences for Russia,” Mr Zelensky said on the Telegram messaging app. “Decisions are needed – from the United States, from Europe and others.”

Mr Zelensky said Russia had also targeted water supply facilities, adding that Moscow wanted to damage them ahead of increased demand in the summer.

Russia said it had used Oreshnik, Iskander, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles in retaliation for Kyiv’s strikes on civilian targets in Russia. Ukraine says it does not target civilians.

Interfax news agency cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying the strikes targeted Ukrainian military command facilities, including sites used by land forces and military intelligence, as well as airbases and military-industrial sites.

Moscow also denies targeting civilians, although thousands have been killed by its bombardments of Ukrainian cities during the war.

Explosions, damage in Kyiv

Explosions reverberated through Kyiv just after 1am local time (6am Singapore time), following a warning by Ukraine’s air force on its Telegram channel that Russia might launch an Oreshnik.

Windows were blown out in Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry building and some damage was reported in Kyiv’s historic Independence Square.

At least two people were killed and another 69 wounded in the capital, Mr Klitschko said.

Many residents sought shelter overnight in the city’s metro stations.

Ms Nataliia Zvarych, 62, said she had rushed to her local station as explosions started rocking the city.

“It was terrifying, scary,” she added. “We have been sitting here for more than three hours now, listening to the explosions up there.”

Strikes were reported in other parts of Ukraine. A further two people were killed and nine others injured in attacks on the broader Kyiv region surrounding the capital, said regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk.

And 11 people were wounded in the central Ukrainian city of Cherkasy when a drone crashed into an apartment block, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said.

Sunrise reveals damage

As the sun rose, black smoke from several fires drifted across the city’s skyline, leaving an acrid smell in parts of the city. Firefighters used hoses to douse the flames in damaged buildings while rescue workers evacuated the wounded.

The front facade of one five-storey residential building in Shevchenko had collapsed, images showed. Officials reported damage to offices, shops and the foyer of a metro station.

Mr Zelensky had warned on May 23 that Russia was preparing a strike against Ukraine using the Oreshnik missile, citing intelligence from Ukraine, the US and Europe.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in the past that the missile is impossible to intercept because of its reported velocity of more than 10 times the speed of sound. REUTERS