Kyiv experienced a large-scale ballistic missile attack. Preliminary information indicates at least four locations were affected, including the Shevchenkivsky, Dniprovsky, and Podilsky districts. Initial reports show fires and damage to apartment buildings," Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said today.
Olena Mukhina, a reporter for Euromaidan Press in Kyiv, stated that Russia launched an Oreshnik hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile at the nearby city of Bila Tserkva in Kyiv province. "Residents heard a very loud and unusual sound, followed by a series of smaller explosions," she said.
Video recorded by Kyiv residents showed a series of bright streaks, believed to be Oreshnik missile warheads, continuously descending on the city.
AMK Mapping, an X account specializing in open-source intelligence on the conflict, assessed that Ukraine is undergoing an intense attack, with Russia using at least two Oreshnik missiles to strike targets in the capital Kyiv and Bila Tserkva city.
"Additionally, Russia launched at least 20 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles, four Zircon hypersonic missiles, and no fewer than 12 Kh-101 missiles targeting Kyiv. More missiles are striking targets in Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr, and Kirovograd provinces. Hundreds of Geran-2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are targeting locations across Ukraine," the account stated.
AFP reporters heard multiple loud explosions in Kyiv. An apartment building near government offices shook from nearby blasts, while dozens sought shelter in a subway station in central Kyiv. Officials urged residents to find shelter.
"The drone attack is ongoing; the ballistic missile threat persists. Remain in shelters," Tkachenko added.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that medical teams were dispatched to the Podilsky district in the city's northwest, where debris fell in a "non-residential area". He also stated that a fire erupted near an apartment building in the neighboring Shevchenkivsky district, damaging many windows.
Russia's Ministry of Defense has not commented on the attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on 23/5 about the risk of a large Russian airstrike using Oreshnik missiles.
The attack followed President Vladimir Putin ordering the Russian military to retaliate for a Ukrainian strike on a vocational college in the town of Starobelsk, Lugansk province, which killed 21 people and injured dozens.
"There were no military facilities, special agencies, or related units nearby. This was not an accidental strike. The attack occurred in three waves, with 16 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting the same location," President Putin stated.
Starobelsk is located about 65 km from the front line. Russian forces took control of the town in 2022, shortly after launching their special military operation in Ukraine. "This is a heinous crime. An attack on an educational institution, where children and young people are present," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Ukraine's General Staff rejected Russia's allegations, claiming to have struck "a Rubikon command post" near Starobelsk town, referring to an elite unmanned aerial vehicle unit operated by Russia's Ministry of Defense.
