Pedestrians walk past a burning building following Russian strikes in Kyiv on May 24, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A large ballistic missile attack pounded Kyiv early on May 24, authorities said, wounding at least five people after Moscow threatened retaliation for strikes in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
A barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes killed nine people and wounded dozens across Ukraine, authorities said on Tuesday, just days after President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow was preparing a “massive new strike”.
Moscow has bombarded Ukraine almost daily since launching an offensive in 2022, often provoking retaliation from Kyiv, as talks to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II remain stalled.
AFP journalists heard several explosions in the Ukrainian capital, where local authorities said Russia struck with ballistic missiles, setting off fires and cutting power in several districts.
