KYIV — On May 24, 2026, Russia launched 600 long-range drones and 90 missiles—including 36 ballistic missiles—against Kyiv and surrounding areas. The attack killed at least two people and injured 87 others, damaging the Ukrainian foreign ministry, the Cabinet of Ministers building, two museums, and a food market.

Ukraine shot down 91 percent of the drones and 81 percent of the cruise missiles launched in the assault. Nineteen missiles likely missed their intended targets during the barrage. One of the missiles used was Russia’s Oreshnik intermediate-range missile, which Russia has forward-positioned in Belarus.

Russia framed the May 24 attack as retaliation for a Ukrainian strike two days earlier on a facility in occupied Luhansk. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the Luhansk strike as “a terror attack on a student dormitory of the Starobilsk pedagogical college” and said it had killed six students and injured 39.

Ukraine’s General Staff said the Luhansk strike had actually targeted a center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies operated by Rubikon, Russia’s unmanned systems force. The Russian foreign ministry described its May 24 campaign as “a series of systematic strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial complex facilities in Kyiv.” Russia said it would target “decision-making centres and command posts” in the capital.

On May 25, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Russia would begin striking “military sites” in Kyiv in retaliation for the Starobilsk incident. The Russian foreign ministry also warned foreign citizens, including diplomats, to leave Kyiv, implying they would be targeted at sites involved in drone design, production, programming, and preparation with NATO assistance.