Russia launched a large-scale air attack across Ukraine overnight Sunday, May 25, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.
The overnight assault came just one day after one of the largest air raids on Kyiv this year, when Russia launched over 200 drones and six ballistic missiles amid a major prisoner exchange between the two countries.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, the attack involved a massive barrage of 367 weapons, including 9 ballistic missiles, 55 air- and sea-launched cruise missiles, 1 Kh-22 cruise missile, 4 guided tactical missiles, and nearly 300 Shahed and other types of drones launched from multiple directions across Russia and the Black Sea region.
Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted 45 cruise missiles and neutralized 266 Shahed drones through a combination of anti-aircraft fire and electronic warfare.
Kyiv officials reported that 11 people were injured in the capital alone. Fires and structural damage were confirmed in at least three districts: Holosiivskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Shevchenkivskyi. Debris from intercepted drones caused fires and destruction to dormitories, homes, and a business center.
The assault began just before midnight on Saturday, May 24, with dozens of drones approaching the capital from several different directions. Most of them were shot down by air defense systems. Kyiv Post correspondents based in the city reported explosions as frequently as every five to ten minutes in Kyiv and surrounding suburbs.
At 2 a.m., with cruise missiles launched from Russian Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers, followed by Kalibr missiles fired from the Black Sea.
The Kyiv region, surrounding the capital, reported at least four fatalities due to the attacks. In Obukhiv district’s Dolyna village, two people were killed in a fire that broke out in two temporary structures.
The Fastiv district’s Markhalivka village saw one death and eight injuries, including a child, as three houses were destroyed and fires damaged two more.
In Makariv village of Buchansky district, one person died and another was injured after a house caught fire and was damaged. Meanwhile, in Chmyrivka village of Bila Tserkva district, five people – including two children – were injured when a fire damaged two houses.
Elsewhere in Bila Tserkva, a man was injured by wreckage from a UAV, and a frame shop was destroyed, though no other injuries were reported. Fires also broke out in two warehouse buildings in the Brovarsky district.
Nearby, in Zhytomyr region, the toll was especially tragic. Three children, ages 8, 12, and 17, were killed. Twelve others were injured. Emergency crews, including Red Cross volunteers, responded to the scene to provide aid and psychological support.
Mykolaiv saw the death of a 77-year-old man and injuries to five others, including a teenager. Part of a five-story apartment building was reportedly destroyed.
In western Ukraine, four people were killed and five more injured in the Khmelnytskyi region. Local officials said six homes were destroyed and over 20 damaged. An educational institution and public transport vehicles also sustained damage.
Ternopil’s regional police said a Kalibr missile struck an industrial plant, sparking a fire that engulfed a 1,000-square-meter workshop.
Kharkiv also came under attack, with drone strikes injuring at least three people. Fires were reported at some impact sites.
Ukrainian authorities say emergency services are continuing recovery efforts and damage assessments as air alerts remain active across many regions.