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A ample ballistic rocket onslaught pounded Kyiv aboriginal connected Sunday (May 24, 2026), authorities said, wounding astatine slightest 5 radical aft Moscow threatened retaliation for strikes successful Russian-occupied eastbound Ukraine.
Loud explosions were heard successful the Ukrainian capital, causing a residential gathering adjacent the authorities territory to shake, portion dozens took structure successful an underground metro presumption successful the metropolis centre, according to AFP journalists.
"The superior has travel nether a wide ballistic rocket attack," Tymur Tkachenko, caput of the Kyiv City Military Administration, wrote connected Telegram.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 5 radical had been wounded and 1 of them hospitalised.
"There are presently reports of astatine slightest 4 locations affected by the attack: Shevchenkivsky, Dniprovsky and Podilsky districts. Fires and harm to residential buildings are preliminarily reported," Mr. Tkachenko said.
"A onslaught drone onslaught is ongoing; the ballistic rocket menace remains present. Stay successful shelters!"
Ukrainian authorities and the U.S. Embassy had earlier warned of a imaginable important onslaught connected the superior aft Russia said it would "punish" those liable for deadly strikes successful a portion of eastbound Ukraine nether its control.
Mr. Klitschko said aesculapian teams were called to the Podilsky territory successful Kyiv's northwest, wherever debris fell successful a non-residential area.
The onslaught besides sparked a occurrence adjacent a residential gathering successful adjacent Shevchenkivsky, helium added.
Missile onslaught warning
Kyiv had earlier warned it was expecting a large Russian rocket onslaught aft its ain forces launched a drone barrage successful the Russian-occupied east, which Moscow said deed a assemblage dormitory and killed astatine slightest 18 people.
Launched overnight connected Thursday (May 21, 2026) to Friday (May 22, 2026), the drone salvo — 1 of Ukraine's deadliest specified strikes successful months -- besides wounded 42 successful Starobilsk, successful the occupied Lugansk region, trapping radical beneath the debris.
Ukraine denied targeting civilians, saying it had deed a Russian drone portion stationed successful the Starobilsk area.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said connected Friday (May 22, 2026) that those liable would look "inevitable and terrible punishment".
On Saturday (May 23, 2026) some Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the U.S. Embassy successful Kyiv issued warnings astir the hazard of a large Russian airstrike successful the coming hours.
"We are seeing signs of mentation for a combined onslaught connected Ukrainian territory, including Kyiv, involving assorted types of weaponry" including the Oreshnik, a Russian nuclear-capable hypersonic missile,Mr. Zelenskyy said successful a station connected societal media.
The U.S. Embassy said it had "received accusation concerning a perchance important aerial onslaught that whitethorn hap astatine immoderate clip implicit the adjacent 24 hours".
Ukraine regularly targets Russian-controlled areas of the state with drones, saying the strikes are retaliation for Russian attacks.
Dormitory decease toll
Russia's Emergency Ministry said connected Saturday (May 23, 2026) it had pulled 2 much bodies from the rubble of the dormitory, taking the decease toll to 18.
Video shared by the Ministry showed dozens of rescuers sifting done what remained of a conception of the five-storey building.
Most of those killed and missing were young women calved betwixt 2003 and 2008, according to a database of casualties published by the Moscow-backed politician of occupied Lugansk, Leonid Pasechnik.
"The portion and the full state stock the destiny of these radical and the symptom of their families," helium said connected Telegram.
The United Nations said connected Friday (May 22, 2026) it "strongly condemns immoderate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur", adding it could not verify details owed to restricted entree to the area.
Starobilsk lies astir 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the beforehand enactment successful eastbound Ukraine. It was captured by Russian forces successful the aboriginal months of the violative successful 2022.
Kyiv has precocious expanded its drone capabilities and stepped up strikes connected undisputed Russian territory, including residential areas and lipid export infrastructure.
Moscow has launched wide barrages of missiles and drones astatine Ukraine astir regular since the full-scale violative began successful 2022, besides hitting infrastructure and causing civilian deaths. It denies targeting civilians.
U.S.-led efforts to negociate an extremity to much than 4 years of warfare person slowed successful caller months with Washington's attraction diverted towards its struggle successful the Middle East.
