Russia launches massive missile and drone strikes on Kiev

Russia has launched a massive missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Saturday, shortly after the launch of a Russian hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, Reuters reported. Explosions were heard across the capital shortly after 1am local time on Sunday (May 24). The strikes began shortly after the Ukrainian Air Force issued a warning on Telegram about a possible Oreshnik attack.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least three people were injured in the attack and several residential buildings were damaged in different parts of the city. He added that a school building in the city center caught fire from missile debris.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Saturday (May 23) that Russia was preparing a major attack using Oreshnik missiles. He claimed that such information was received from Ukrainian, US and European intelligence sources. However, the Ukrainian Air Force did not immediately confirm whether the Oreshnik missile had hit any target. Russia has used Oreshnik missiles twice before. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the missile, which travels more than 10 times the speed of sound, is almost impossible to intercept.
Before Zelensky’s warning, Putin ordered his military to prepare for a counterattack. He cited a Ukrainian drone attack on a dormitory in the Luhansk region of Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine as the reason. However, the Ukrainian military claimed that a Russian drone had targeted a command unit in the attack.