Rescuers are working at the location of a badly damaged structure while smoke billows following Russian attacks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 24, 2026.Oleksii Filippov/AFP via Getty Images
LONDON — At least four individuals perished, and 83 suffered injuries throughout Ukraine, as Ukrainian officials reported a significant missile and drone assault initiated by Russia overnight.
"The assault was intense," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed in a message on Telegram. "The most impacts occurred in Kyiv, which was the primary focus of this Russian offensive," he elaborated.
Zelenskyy specified that among the targeted sites were a water supply installation, a marketplace, educational institutions, and residential complexes. "He's completely deranged," the Ukrainian president remarked about Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It's crucial that Russia does not escape accountability for this. At present, everyone globally who speaks out and aids Ukraine stands as a defender of existence."
The Ukrainian air force stated that Russia unleashed 600 drones and 90 missiles upon the nation during the night, with 549 drones and 55 missiles being successfully intercepted. The air force suggested that an additional 19 missiles did not hit their intended targets. Sixteen missiles and 51 drones struck 54 separate areas, according to the air force.
Rescuers operate at the site of a heavily damaged building as smoke rises following Russian strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 24, 2026.Oleksii Filippov/AFP via Getty Images
The air force revealed that one of the missiles deployed was an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, launched from Russia’s Kapustin Yar rocket launch site. Zelenskyy mentioned that the missile was directed at Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko conveyed via social media posts that the capital region experienced at least two fatalities. Klitschko also noted that another 56 individuals sustained injuries within the city, describing the night as "horrific."
Officials reported that two more deaths occurred in the Bucha and Obukhiv districts, both situated within the Kyiv region.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized the most recent strikes as "violence against civilians," further noting that the Foreign Ministry building, located centrally, suffered minor damage.
Sybiha commented on Putin, stating, "This offensive was likely an attempt to project 'strength' to his domestic population, but instead, it simply reaffirms Putin’s fragility. Even Russians recognize his status as a failure."
A Russian drone flies above Kyiv during Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital on May 24, 2026.Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images
"To our allies, I wish to convey this: the time has come to amplify support for Ukraine, not reduce it, and to increase pressure on the Russian government," Sybiha penned.
"We are requesting enhanced defense capabilities, especially to shield our airspace; investment to bolster our defense sector; escalating pressure on Russia, including forbidding entry to Russian fighters, fully utilizing seized assets; decisive political actions regarding Ukraine’s inclusion in the EU and related measures," he incorporated.
The Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged using the Oreshnik missile in the attacks against Ukraine, referring to the overnight offensives as "extensive" and asserting they were a reaction to "Ukraine’s terrorist actions aimed at civilian infrastructure within Russian boundaries."
"The purposes of the strike were realized. All predetermined objectives were impacted," the ministry posted on Telegram.
Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president who is currently the deputy chairman of the nation’s Security Council, portrayed the attacks as revenge for recent Ukrainian long-distance strikes on Russia.
"We must attack – in the manner of today, and with even greater intensity!" Medvedev expressed in a Telegram message. "Ultimately, the sight of devastation and somber ashes where their capital’s landmarks once stood demoralizes the adversary just as effectively as the capture of a battle standard."
Smoke rises above Kyiv during a Russian strike on the Ukrainian capital on May 24, 2026.Evgen Kotenko/AFP via Getty Images
In the meantime, Russia’s Defense Ministry indicated that its air defenses downed 33 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The regional government in the Belgorod region, sharing a border with Ukraine, revealed that a single person was killed there by a drone.
Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s federal agency for air transport, stated that temporary limitations on air travel were enacted at airports situated in Kaluga, Cherepovets, and Yaroslavl.
ABC News reporters Matthew Holroyd, Charlotte Gardiner, Anna Sergeeva, and Rashid Haddou-Riffi provided input for this report.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com