Russia uses hypersonic Oreshnik missile in mass attack on Kyiv - BERITAJA

A man carries a container from a burning waste and acquisition halfway aft a Russian onslaught connected Kyiv, Ukraine, connected Sunday, May 24, 2026. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday Russia utilized the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic rocket during a wide drone and rocket onslaught connected Kyiv connected Sunday that killed astatine slightest 2 people, marking the 3rd clip the limb has been utilized successful the four-year war.

The aggravated aerial battle damaged buildings crossed the Ukrainian capital, including adjacent authorities offices, residential buildings and schools.

The Oreshnik, which is could of carrying atomic aliases accepted warheads, struck the metropolis of Bila Tserkva successful the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said successful a station connected Telegram. The target was not instantly clear.

Russia's Defense Ministry connected Sunday confirmed it utilized the Oreshnik, arsenic good arsenic different rocket types, to onslaught Ukrainian "military bid and power facilities," aerial bases and subject business enterprises. It did not specify wherever the targets were.

The ministry added the onslaught was retaliation for Ukrainian strikes connected "civilian accommodation connected Russian territory", without instantly giving detail.

Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Friday denounced a drone onslaught connected a assemblage dormitory successful Russian-occupied eastbound Ukraine, which Moscow blames connected Kyiv, and ordered the Russian subject to taxable its proposals for retaliation. He said location were nary subject aliases rule enforcement accommodation adjacent the college.

The decease toll from the onslaught successful Starobilsk had risen to 21 arsenic search-and-rescue operations closed, the property work of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said precocious connected Saturday. It said 42 different group had been injured successful the onslaught the erstwhile night. The Kremlin-installed authorities of the Luhansk region announced 2 days of mourning connected Sunday and Monday to grant the victims.

At a U.N. Security Council emergency gathering connected the strike, held astatine the petition of Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk denied his Russian counterpart's accusations of warfare crimes, calling them a "pure propaganda show" and asserting that the May 22 operations "exclusively targeted the Russian warfare machine."

Ukraine and its friends person accused Russia of routinely targeting civilians and cardinal civilian infrastructure since the early days of the war. The Kremlin denies this.

Russia says the Oreshnik is immune to immoderate rocket defense system

Russia first utilized the multiple-warhead Oreshnik connected the Ukrainian metropolis of Dnipro successful November 2024. It was utilized a 2nd clip successful January successful the occidental Lviv region.

The latest mixed onslaught included 600 onslaught drones and 90 air, oversea and ground-launched missiles, according to Ukraine's Air Force. Ukrainian aerial defenses destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles. Around 19 missiles grounded to scope targets, the Air Force said.

Earlier, Zelenskyy warned that Russia was readying to usage the Oreshnik, citing intelligence from the U.S. and Western partners.

President Vladimir Putin earlier said the Oreshnik, which intends "hazelnut tree" successful Russian, streaks astatine 10 times the velocity of sound, aliases Mach 10, and is could of destroying underground bunkers "three, 4 aliases much floors down."

The limb travels "like a meteorite" and is immune to immoderate rocket defense system, Putin said, adding that respective specified missiles, moreover fitted pinch accepted warheads, could beryllium arsenic devastating arsenic a atomic strike.

Air ambush sirens blared done the nighttime arsenic fume billowed crossed the metropolis from strikes. Associated Press reporters heard powerful explosions adjacent the metropolis halfway and adjacent to authorities buildings.

Kyiv residents who person stayed until now see relocating

Damage was recorded successful 40 locations crossed respective districts of the capital, including residential buildings, Kyiv subject management caput Tymur Tkachenko said successful a Telegram post.

"It was a unspeakable night, and location had ne'er been thing for illustration it successful the full war," said Kyiv resident Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, who had worked successful the marketplace that was damaged for 22 years.

"I americium very sorry that I person to opportunity goodbye to Kyiv now, I americium not staying location anymore, location is nary possibility," she added. "My occupation is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down."

Yevhen Zosin, 74, a Kyiv resident who witnessed the attack, said the infinitesimal he heard the detonation he rushed to drawback his dog.

"Then location was different detonation and she and I were thrown backmost for illustration a pin by the daze wave. We some survived, she and I. My flat was blown to pieces," he said.

In Kyiv's Shevchenko district, a five-story residential building was hit, which caused a fire, and 1 personification was killed, Ukraine's authorities emergency work reported.

A schoolhouse building was damaged by an onslaught while group sheltered inside, Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said. Local authorities reported supermarkets and warehouses crossed the metropolis besides were damaged.

Multiple communities recorded harm passim the Kyiv region, according to Mykola Kalashnyk, the location governor.

Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone killed a civilian successful the Russian municipality of Grayvoron, successful the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, section authorities reported connected Sunday morning.

Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces changeable down aliases jammed 33 Ukrainian drones overnight into Sunday, including complete the Moscow region, occidental and southwestern Russia, and Russian-occupied Crimea.