Russia Says Retaliatory Strikes Hit Ukrainian Military Sites; Kiev Reports Damage
Russia's Defense Ministry announced that its forces delivered a massive retaliatory strike against Ukrainian military command centers, airbases, and defense industry sites, using long-range precision weapons, according to TASS. The strikes were described as a response to Ukrainian attacks on civilian facilities on Russian territory. The ministry reported that all designated targets were hit, including with Oreshnik and Iskander missiles, Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missiles, and Tsirkon cruise missiles.
In Kiev, the air raid alert lasted four and a half hours overnight, and damage was reported in seven out of ten districts of the Ukrainian capital, as well as in eight districts overall, according to reports cited by TASS. The Ukrainian air defenses reportedly failed to counter the missile strikes on military targets in Kiev and the Kiev Region, as reported by the Strana media outlet. A building in Kiev housing apartments of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's associate Timur Mindich was damaged, reportedly by debris, according to Ukrainskaya Pravda, as cited by TASS.
TASS reported that the Ukrainian Emergencies Service recorded fires and destruction in 40 locations across eight districts of Kiev. The air raid alert in the city lasted four and a half hours overnight, according to TASS. Damage to various facilities was registered in seven out of ten districts of the Ukrainian capital, the agency reported.
The strikes were described by the Russian Defense Ministry as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure on Russian territory. The Russian military said it used Oreshnik and Iskander ballistic missiles, Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missiles, Tsirkon sea-launched hypersonic cruise missiles, as well as long-range cruise missiles and attack drones, hitting all designated targets, including Ukraine's military command centers and defense industry sites.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the strikes also targeted territorial recruitment centers in Ukraine. The ministry said that Russian forces would begin systematic strikes on defense industry sites in Kiev, and advised foreign nationals, including diplomatic personnel, to leave the city, and residents to stay away from military and industrial facilities.
The Ukrainian side has not officially commented on the strikes, but local media reported damage to residential and industrial buildings. The Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported that the building in Kiev housing the apartment of President Volodymyr Zelensky and a business associate involved in a corruption scandal was damaged by debris from an intercepted missile. Strana media outlet, citing sources, reported that Ukrainian air defenses failed to counter the Russian missile strikes on military installations in Kiev and the Kiev region.
The attacks follow a Ukrainian drone strike on the Lugansk Pedagogical University's Vocational College in Starobelsk in the early hours of May 22, which, according to Russian officials, killed 21 people. The drone attack was described by Russian authorities as a terrorist act.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov, who now lives in Russia, told TASS that the strikes and the Russian Foreign Ministry's announcement caused panic in Kiev. He said, "I know that there was quite a panic there. Panic doesn't happen without reason," and added that Ukraine's Western allies face an awkward position if they evacuate their diplomatic staff, as it would validate Russia's warnings.
Military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS that Ukrainian authorities are withholding information about the extent of the damage, which he suggested indicates the strikes were effective. He based his assessment on his analysis of the Ukrainian segment of social media, where residents expressed satisfaction with the strikes on military-industrial facilities and dual-use enterprises.
No independent verification of the claims was available. The reports come from Russian state media and Ukrainian media outlets cited therein.