Russia Threatens New Kyiv Strikes After 21 Die in Starobilsk Attack
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Russia Threatens New Kyiv Strikes After 21 Die in Starobilsk Attack
9 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 25
Russia said it will launch “systematic strikes” on Kyiv decision-making centers, command posts and drone-production sites, and urged foreign nationals and diplomats to leave the city as soon as possible.
Moscow cast the threat as retaliation for what it said was a Ukrainian strike on a student dormitory in Starobilsk that killed 21 people; Ukraine said it hit an elite Russian drone unit there, not civilians.
Saturday night’s Russian barrage killed 4 people and injured about 100 in Kyiv and other areas, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, after one of the war’s largest aerial assaults on the capital.
Russia has resumed repeated attacks since an early-May ceasefire expired, using dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones; Ukraine intercepts many but remains reliant on foreign air-defense supplies.
Russia’s cheap drones are bleeding Ukraine’s defenses dry. Can Ukraine’s own innovative drone army turn the tide in this war of attrition?
Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic missile just hit Kyiv. Can Ukraine's vaunted air defenses counter this seemingly unstoppable threat?
China is fueling Russia's war machine. How can the West sanction Beijing effectively without triggering a catastrophic global economic conflict?
May 2026 Russian Aerial Assault on Kyiv: Oreshnik Missile Deployment, Civilian Targets, and Escalating Retaliation
Overview
Between May 24 and 25, 2026, Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Kyiv, using missiles and drones that struck over 50 locations and caused widespread damage, even in central areas that are usually less affected. Ukrainian authorities reported 16 missile and 51 drone strikes, with many Russian drones shot down and some missiles failing to reach their targets. Emergency services worked quickly to clear rubble and help affected residents. This attack, which damaged both civilian and cultural sites, highlights the escalating cycle of strikes and counterstrikes between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defenses.