At least 2 dead, 83 wounded after Russia uses nuclear-capable missile in massive attack on Ukraine

May 24, 2026 / 9:09 AM EDT

/ CBS/AP

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Russia used a powerful hypersonic missile to carry out a massive attack Sunday in Kyiv, which killed at least two people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Oreshnik ballistic missile used in the attack has nuclear capabilities, and its latest bombardment marked the third time Russia has used that weapon over the course of the four-year war.The intense aerial assault, involving both drone and missile strikes, was among the largest since the war began in 2022. It left buildings damaged across the Ukrainian capital, including near government offices, residential buildings, a market and schools, Ukrainian authorities said. Harrowing images showed rescue workers trying to evacuate people from a residential building that was partially destroyed and set ablaze in the barrage.At least 83 people were wounded in the attack. The Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, struck the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram. The target was not immediately clear.Russia's Defense Ministry on Sunday confirmed it used the Oreshnik, as well as other missile types, to strike Ukrainian "military command and control facilities," air bases and military industrial enterprises. It did not specify where the targets were. The ministry added the attack was retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on "civilian facilities on Russian territory," without giving detail.