Russia deployed the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday, marking the third use of the weapon in the four-year war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the attack, which killed at least two people and wounded at least 83 others, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Attack Details
The intense aerial assault damaged buildings across the Ukrainian capital, including near government offices, residential buildings, schools, and a market. Air raid sirens blared through the night as smoke billowed across the city from strikes. Associated Press reporters heard powerful explosions near the city center and close to government buildings.
Ukraine's Air Force reported that the attack included 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea, and ground-launched missiles. Ukrainian air defenses destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles, while around 19 missiles failed to reach their targets.
International Reaction
Ferit Hoxha, Albania's foreign minister, reported that the residence of the Albanian ambassador to Ukraine was hit during the attack, denouncing it as 'unacceptable' and a 'grave escalation'. Kyiv's European allies, including France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz, condemned the Russian strikes and use of the Oreshnik missile. Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said top diplomats from EU states will meet within days to discuss increasing international pressure on Russia.
Russian Retaliation
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the weapon's use and stated that the attack was retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on 'civilian facilities on Russian territory'. Russian President Vladimir Putin had denounced a drone strike on a college dormitory in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, which Moscow blamed on Kyiv. The death toll from that strike rose to 21, with 42 others wounded.
Ukraine's Defense Challenges
Zelenskyy said not all ballistic missiles were intercepted and that most strikes hit Kyiv. The interception failures underscore Ukraine's chronic shortage of air defense missiles capable of downing ballistic missiles. Kyiv relies heavily on U.S. Patriot systems, but interceptors remain in short supply. Developing a domestically produced alternative has become a top priority for Ukraine's Defense Ministry.
Aftermath in Kyiv
Damage was recorded in 50 locations across several districts of the capital, including residential buildings, shopping centers, schools, and police department buildings. Fires continued to rage into the morning, complicating rescue efforts as buildings collapsed from the blasts. In Kyiv's Shevchenko district, a five-story residential building was hit, causing a fire and killing one person. A school building was damaged while people sheltered inside, said Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Residents described the attack as unprecedented. Svitlana Onofryichuk, 55, who worked in a damaged market for 22 years, said, 'It was a terrible night, and there had never been anything like it in the entire war. My job is gone, everything is gone, everything has burned down.' Yevhen Zosin, 74, recalled being thrown back by a shock wave while grabbing his dog, saying, 'My apartment was blown to pieces.'
Elsewhere, a Ukrainian drone killed a civilian in the Russian town of Grayvoron in the Belgorod region. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down or jammed 33 Ukrainian drones overnight.
