Russia hits Kyiv with massive missile and drone strike, killing four

On 24 May 2026, Russia hit Kyiv with one of the largest attacks of the war, using missiles and drones, and Russia's defence ministry confirmed it used the hypersonic Oreshnik missile. Death tolls cited ranged from at least one to at least four, with dozens injured according to Kyiv's mayor. Buildings hit included a school and a residential complex that houses the Albanian ambassador.

Russia described the strike as retaliation for a deadly Ukrainian attack, with Russian outlets linking it to the town of Starobilsk. TASS wrote that the Oreshnik struck Ukrainian military command posts. Before the attack, Russia had threatened strikes on Kyiv defence sites and urged foreigners to leave. Medvedev commented that Russia should 'strike much harder'.