Russia Launches Ballistic Missile Attack on Kyiv, Warns of Systematic Strikes and Urges Foreign Evacuations

May 25, 2026

Russia launched a massive ballistic missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least four people and deploying a new Oreshnik hypersonic missile for only the third time. Moscow claims the attack is retaliation for a deadly Ukrainian strike in Luhansk and has warned of future "systematic strikes," urging foreign diplomats to evacuate. Western leaders condemned the act as "reckless escalation," and the US and EU confirmed their diplomatic missions will remain in the city.

Ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv

▪Russia fired a total of 600 drones and 90 missiles at Ukraine overnight in one of the largest attacks on the capital.
▪The Oreshnik missile's speed and trajectory make it almost unstoppable by Ukraine's available air defense systems.
▪Ukraine remains heavily dependent on foreign air defence systems for missile interception.
▪This was the third time Russia has used the Oreshnik missile during its four-year war with Ukraine.
▪Russia deployed the Oreshnik ballistic missile, a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon, in a massive attack on Kyiv.

Russian evacuation demands

▪Russia's Foreign Ministry warned foreign nationals and diplomatic staff to evacuate Kyiv "as soon as possible."
▪Russia announced it is beginning "systematic strikes" against military facilities and "decision-making centres" in Kyiv.
▪Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov personally advised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evacuate American diplomats and citizens.

Western diplomatic presence in Kyiv

▪European Union foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas called Russia's use of the Oreshnik missile "reckless nuclear-brinkmanship."
▪Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, described Russia's evacuation demands as "shameless blackmail."
▪The EU's ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, and a US State Department spokesperson confirmed their diplomatic missions would remain in Kyiv.

Ukrainian civilian resilience

▪More than 70 foreign diplomats visited the heavily damaged Lukyanivka neighborhood in Kyiv to pay respects to victims.
▪Kyiv residents showed resilience by returning to normal routines, with dozens queueing to support a coffee shop damaged in the strikes.

Cross-border attacks on infrastructure

▪Russia claims its strikes are retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack on a college dormitory in Starobilsk that killed 18-21 people.
▪Ukraine has continued its own attacks, striking a Russian oil depot in the Bryansk region.
▪Ukraine's military stated it struck an elite Russian drone unit, the 'Rubicon' unit, in Starobilsk and did not target civilians.

Casualties in multiple regions

▪The Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed at least four people and wounded at least 87, including three children.
▪The Russia-installed head of the Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, said seven people were killed in Ukrainian attacks.
▪Russian attacks across Ukraine in a 24-hour period also killed civilians in the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Odesa regions.