Russia carried out a massive attack with hypersonic missiles and drones against Kiev in the early hours of this Sunday (24). The shots were fired towards the central region of the Ukrainian capital in an area close to schools, government buildings and residential neighborhoods.
The attack was confirmed by Vladimir Putin’s government. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, there were 600 attack drones and 90 missiles launched from the air, sea and land, and the country claimed to have destroyed or neutralized 549 drones and 55 missiles.
At least four people died and 56 were injured in Kiev and the metropolitan region, according to bulletins from local authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a Telegram message that Russia used the powerful Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile in the bombing.
This type of missile is characterized by its super fast speed, which exceeds 12,300 km/h. It is equipped with six submunition warheads, and is considered highly difficult to intercept.
On the other side, according to information from Russian state agencies, four types of missiles were used, including the Oreshnik itself, and three others: Iskander, Kinzhal and Zircon.
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What Russia says
The Russian attack was carried out in retaliation for drone attacks on a university dormitory in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, for which Moscow blames Kiev, and ordered the Russian army to present proposals for retaliation. He said there were no military or security force installations near the university.
The death toll from the attack in Starobilsk had risen to 21 by the time search and rescue operations were completed, the press office of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported late on Saturday night, 23. Another 42 people were injured in the attack the night before, according to the agency. Authorities appointed by the Kremlin in the Luhansk region announced two days of mourning, this Sunday and Monday, the 25th, in memory of the victims.
At an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the attack, held at the request of Russia, Ukrainian ambassador Andrii Melnyk denied the accusations of war crimes made by his Russian counterpart, classifying them as “pure propaganda spectacle”, and stated that the May 22 operations “were directed exclusively against the Russian war machine”.
Ukraine and its allies accuse Russia of routinely attacking civilians and essential civilian infrastructure since the early days of the war. The Kremlin denies this.
