Russia launched one of its biggest airstrikes since the war began, firing hundreds of drones and missiles directly at Ukraine’s capital city. During the massive overnight attack, Russian forces deployed the Oreshnik, a highly dangerous hypersonic ballistic missile. The heavy bombardment killed four people, injured nearly 100 others, and caused widespread destruction across Kyiv.
A Massive Night of Terror in the Capital
The hours-long attack completely shook the city of Kyiv. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched a staggering 90 missiles and 600 drones in total. While air defense systems managed to shoot down a large portion of the incoming weapons, many ballistic missiles broke through and struck the city.
The damage was widespread, affecting nearly every district in the capital. Residents spent the night hiding in underground metro stations while massive explosions shook the ground above. The strikes ruined a shopping center, burned down a busy local market, and damaged dozens of residential apartment blocks. Several schools were also hit, including one where a fire broke out while people were sheltering inside.
The Destruction of Cultural History and Infrastructure
Beyond targeting residential areas, the bombardment hit significant cultural and utility sites in the heart of Kyiv. The blast waves badly damaged Ukraine’s National Art Museum and the Kyiv Opera Theater. Even worse, a strike completely destroyed a newly opened museum dedicated to the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster, causing a permanent loss of historic artifacts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia intentionally targeted water-supply facilities. Officials believe Moscow wants to disrupt the city’s water system right before the hot summer months arrive to make life harder for the public.
The Oreshnik missile itself struck the city of Bila Tserkva, located about 40 miles outside of Kyiv. Military experts reviewing the footage noted that the missile’s warhead split into 36 smaller explosives before impact, proving how destructive the weapon can be. This marks only the third time Russia has used the Oreshnik since the invasion began in 2022.
A Cruel Attack Born From Military Frustration
It is a brutal, terrifying act of revenge aimed at breaking the spirit of regular citizens. The Russian Defense Ministry claims they are only hitting military targets, but you cannot drop 600 drones and 90 missiles onto a major city, burn down civilian markets, destroy schools, and shatter historic art museums, and then claim it was a precise military operation. It is a deliberate attempt to make Kyiv unlivable.
However, we also have to look at the political chess game happening here. Russia openly admitted this attack was “retaliation” for Ukraine’s recent drone strikes inside Russian territory, including a strike that hit a college dormitory in Starobilsk.
By unleashing the Oreshnik, a missile built to carry nuclear weapons and travel at ten times the speed of sound, Vladimir Putin is engaging in dangerous nuclear bullying. He wants to show the world that Ukraine’s Western air defense systems, like the U.S. Patriot system, are running low on ammunition and cannot stop his newest weapons.
President Zelenskyy is completely right to call this “deranged” and demand immediate consequences from global leaders. But as long as Western allies hesitate to give Ukraine the long-range weapons and continuous air defense supplies they need to protect its skies, Putin will keep using Kyiv as a testing ground for his weapons. It is a heartbreaking reality that innocent people are paying for this global political stalemate with their lives, their homes, and their history.
