Russia reportedly launched two Oreshnik missiles toward Ukraine overnight on 24 May, the monitoring channel Yeradar reported. The second may have struck Russian-occupied territory.
The second missile, by Yeradar's analysis, hit territory under Russian control in the Avdiivka or Yasynuvata area in the suburbs of Donetsk. The monitoring channel did not rule out that Russia had struck its own troops there.
The Ukrainian Air Force has confirmed one Oreshnik impact on Ukrainian territory — the strike on Bila Tserkva, a city of 200,000, some 80 kilometers south of Kyiv — consistent with Yeradar's reading that the first Oreshnik launch failed or never reached Ukrainian-controlled ground.
It is the third confirmed combat use of the system, after the November 2024 strike on Dnipro and the January 2026 strike on Lviv Oblast.
Oreshnik, Kinzhal and Zircon missiles used in large-scale strike package
The overnight strike package, tracked by the Ukrainian Air Force between 18:00 on 23 May and the morning of 24 May, totaled 690 weapons — 90 missiles and 600 drones, with Kyiv as the main direction.
BREAKING: Russia reportedly struck Kyiv Oblast with Oreshnik intercontinental ballistic missile
Alongside the Oreshnik, Russia launched two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, three 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles, 30 Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles, 54 Kh-101, Iskander-K and Kalibr cruise missiles, and 600 Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas, "Banderol" and "Parodiya" drones.
The Oreshnik was launched from the Kapustin Yar range in Astrakhan Oblast.
Russian framing and Ukraine's denial
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the use of Oreshnik and described the strike as retaliation for an alleged Ukrainian drone attack on a college dormitory in Starobilsk, occupied Luhansk Oblast.
Ukraine strikes “Rubicon” elite Russian drone unit in occupied Luhansk Oblast — while Moscow accuses Kyiv of hitting civilians
Ukraine's General Staff denied targeting the dormitory and said its drones had struck a headquarters of Russia's "Rubicon" Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies in the same area.
At least four people were killed, and 77 were injured in Sunday's strike on Kyiv, with shopping malls, residential buildings, and schools damaged.
Russia launches Oreshnik again right after Zelenskyy warning
Russia first used the Oreshnik against Dnipro on 21 November 2024 with what Ukrainian sources concluded were dummy warheads.
The second use, on 9 January 2026, struck Lviv Oblast as part of a larger combined attack that killed four and injured 25 in Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on 23 May, citing intelligence shared by US and European partners, that a third Oreshnik strike was being prepared and the launches followed within hours.
