Ukraine thwarts major Russian drone and missile strike targeting Kyiv and surrounding regions
In a massive overnight assault on May 24, Russia launched 250 drones and 14 ballistic Iskander-M missiles against Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The strikes were primarily aimed at Kyiv, though Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia regions were also targeted. Fifteen people were reported injured in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian Air Force successfully neutralized most of the drones, bringing down 245 out of 250. Additionally, six out of the 14 "Iskander-M" missiles were intercepted. However, the Russian onslaught left its mark on Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
As Mykola Kalashnyk, head of Kyiv's regional military administration, reported, the air raid alarm in Kyiv's oblast lasted for 8 hours. A 54-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman from Brovary district were hospitalized with shrapnel injuries. In Boryspil district, a 43-year-old woman was also hospitalized due to a penetrating leg wound.
According to Ukrainian police, 15 people were injured in Kyiv itself. In the Solomianskyi district, debris from a downed drone struck an apartment on the 5th floor, igniting a fire and injuring seven people. In the Dniprovskyi district, a couple was injured by shrapnel penetrating their apartment. In the Obolonskyi district, five residents of a damaged high-rise sought medical attention, and an additional individual was hurt in the Holosiivskyi district.
The number of drones deployed by Russia in this attack nears a record. On May 18, the highest number of drones fired in a single night—273—was documented.
On that occasion, 57 drones managed to hit various targets, but this time, Ukraine's air defense proved more effective, allowing only five Russian drones to evade interception. Out of the 250 drones used, Ukrainian forces shot down 128, while 117 were successfully neutralized by electronic warfare without causing damage.