Russia unleashes at least 250 drones, 14 missiles in relentless night assault on Kyiv

In a chilling escalation of violence, Russia launched a massive overnight aerial assault on Kyiv early May 24, pelting the Ukrainian capital with over 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles. The strikes injured at least 15 people, ignited multiple fires, and left widespread destruction in their wake — marking one of the most intense attacks on the city since the war began.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the scale of the assault, identifying the majority of the drones as Iranian-made Shaheds. “It was a difficult night for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media, adding that all the strikes targeted civilian areas. “There are fatalities.”

Though casualty details remain fluid, the impact was visibly devastating. Debris rained across six districts of Kyiv. In the Solomynskyi district, falling drone fragments set the top floor of an apartment block ablaze. Another fire tore through a residential building in Dniprovskyi. Flames licked the night sky in Obolon, as drone wreckage landed near a local shopping center, sending clouds of smoke drifting across the skyline.

Authorities continue to assess the full scale of damage, but Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the attack as "a deliberate attempt to terrorize the civilian population.”

Zelenskyy: 'World must do more'

As Ukraine struggles to recover, Zelenskyy issued a pointed call to the international community: intensify the pressure on Moscow.

“It is clear that far stronger pressure must be imposed on Russia to get results and launch real diplomacy,” he posted on X. “Only additional sanctions targeting key sectors of the Russian economy will force Moscow to cease fire.”

Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine has offered multiple ceasefire proposals — “both full and partial, including in the skies” — but says every initiative has been “ignored” by Russia.

“With each such attack, the world becomes more certain that the cause of prolonging the war lies in Moscow,” he said.

Amid War, a glimmer of dialogue

In a surprising turn, both Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a prisoner exchange on May 23 — a diplomatic gesture reportedly encouraged by former US President Donald Trump, who hailed it as a possible step toward broader negotiations.

Still, tensions remain dangerously high. Each side continues to accuse the other of sabotaging peace efforts.

Russia has yet to comment officially on the May 24 assault, though its foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had promised retaliation just a day earlier following a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes — reportedly numbering around 800 — across Russian territory, including Moscow.

A dangerous crossroads

The assault underscores a volatile and unpredictable new phase in the war. While tentative diplomatic signals flicker, the skies over Kyiv have once again turned into a battleground.

The question remains: Will the international community escalate pressure enough to force diplomacy — or is the world witnessing the descent into a broader and more destructive chapter of this war?