Russia Launches Massive Overnight Missile-and-Drone Attack on Kyiv, Ukraine Says

Ukraine’s military said Russia launched a massive overnight missile-and-drone attack centered on Kyiv, with 690 aerial weapons detected and 604 reported shot down or suppressed as of 9:30 a.m. local time Sunday, while local officials reported deaths, injuries and damage across the capital.

In an update published May 24 on Telegram, Ukraine’s General Staff said the attack began at 6 p.m. on May 23 and that the “main direction” of the strike was Kyiv. The military said its radar troops detected 690 air attack weapons in total — 90 missiles and 600 drones or other unmanned aerial vehicles — but stressed that the figures were preliminary and still being clarified.

As of 9:30 a.m., the General Staff said Ukrainian air defenses had shot down or otherwise suppressed 604 targets: 11 ballistic missiles, 44 cruise missiles and 549 drones. It also said 19 Russian missiles may not have reached their targets, though that information was still being checked and possible impact sites were still being established. Separately, the military said it had recorded hits by 16 missiles and 51 strike drones at 54 locations, along with drone debris falling at 23 locations. The General Staff said the attack was still ongoing when it issued the statement, with several strike drones still in Ukrainian airspace. It said the barrage was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare units, unmanned systems units and mobile fire groups.

In Kyiv, city officials, the Kyiv City Military Administration, the State Emergency Service and the Kyiv Independent reported civilian casualties and damage from the strike. The Kyiv Independent said at least one person was killed and 24 were injured, while fires and damage were reported across multiple districts of the capital. Those local casualty and damage figures could also change as emergency crews continue assessments.

The barrage appeared to be one of the larger combined missile-and-drone attacks reported by Ukraine in 2025-2026, using a tactic seen repeatedly during the war in which large numbers of one-way attack drones are launched alongside cruise and ballistic missiles to stretch air defenses. Immediate post-strike military counts in Ukraine are often revised, and the General Staff said parts of Sunday’s report were preliminary and subject to further clarification.