Russian forces launched a massive combined air attack on Kyiv, from the evening of May 23 into the early morning of May 24, targeting the capital with waves of Shahed kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles, officials reported.
The assault came in multiple phases. Drones were first launched late on May 23, followed by a barrage of ballistic missiles and additional Shaheds in the early hours of May 24. The all-clear signal in Kyiv was only given at 05:10.
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Kyiv Post correspondents across the city and surrounding suburbs reported hearing the sounds of Shahed drones, air defense systems in action, and powerful explosions - some occurring as frequently as every 5 to 10 minutes.
Kyiv continues emergency response efforts following one of the most massive combined air attacks on the capital, the State Emergency Service (DSNS) reported.
“A difficult night for all of us. One of the largest combined attacks on the capital. The enemy is improving its tactics of using drones, while simultaneously striking with ballistics,” said Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA), on Telegram.
As of 08:00, he outlined the situation across the city’s districts:
Holosiivskyi District: Debris from a downed drone fell in multiple locations. One person was injured, and five cars were damaged.
Svyatoshynskyi District: “Was hit hard again,” Tkachenko said. Non-residential infrastructure was damaged in several places. Fires were localized, and no casualties had been reported as of the morning.
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Solomyanskyi District: A fire broke out on four and a half floors of a building. Seven people were injured, and one person was rescued.
Shevchenkivskyi District: A fire was recorded in a non-residential building. It has since been contained.
Dniprovsky District: Debris struck an apartment on the third floor of a high-rise building. “We have two injured, as of now,” Tkachenko said.
Obolonskyi District: Also “hit hard,” according to Tkachenko, with at least four impacted locations. Debris fell in several open areas, and a shopping center sustained damage, though no fire broke out.
“The most severely damaged in the Obolonskyi district was an ordinary residential high-rise building. The drone damaged several apartments on the 3rd-6th floors,” he added.
Five people were reportedly injured in the area. Two were rescued and brought to safety. Fires have been extinguished.
“This is now one of the main points of operational elimination of consequences. Many broken windows. An operational headquarters has been deployed under the coordination of the district state administration. All victims are being provided with assistance and food,” Tkachenko said.
He warned that more debris may be discovered throughout the day and urged residents not to approach it and to immediately call emergency services at 101.
“We are working on the elimination of consequences. There will be updates,” he added.
Photos of the Russian attack’s aftermath, shared by the head of the KMVA on Telegram
President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the aftermath of the massive Russian air attack on Telegram, saying that emergency teams in Kyiv continue to respond to the overnight barrage.
“Rescue operations are ongoing and emergency services are working at the sites of hits and debris falls - wherever necessary,” he wrote. “There were many fires and explosions in the city at night.”
Zelensky said that residential buildings, cars, and businesses were once again damaged. “There are, unfortunately, injured people,” he added.
Calling it “a difficult night for all of Ukraine,” Zelensky said that Russian forces launched 250 strike drones - “the absolute majority of which are Iranian Shaheds” - alongside 14 ballistic missiles.
He confirmed that the regions of Odesa, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kyiv, and Dnipropetrovsk were affected.
“Everywhere - civilians. There are dead. My condolences to their families and friends,” Zelensky said.
He added that each new wave of shelling only strengthens the global understanding of the war’s root cause: “With each such attack, the world becomes convinced that the reason for the war being dragged out is in Moscow.”
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine has “proposed a ceasefire many times - both complete and in the sky,” but said those offers have been ignored.
“It is obvious that we need to put much more pressure on Russia so that there is a result and real diplomacy begins,” he said.
The president also called on Ukraine’s partners for new sanctions: “Ukraine is waiting for sanctions from the United States, Europe, and all our partners. Only additional sanctions against key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to cease fire.”
According to the latest update from Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, a total of 14 residents were injured in the Dniprovskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Obolonskyi districts during the overnight attack.
“Three injured people were hospitalized overnight in the capital. Two of them remain in the hospital. Eleven others received medical treatment at the scene,” Klitschko wrote.
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