Russia Conducts Extensive Missile and Drone Assault on Kyiv

Russia initiated a significant missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s capital early Sunday morning. The attack shook buildings for hours and sparked fires throughout Kyiv.

The barrage caused damage to two entrances of the subway system. This system serves as an underground refuge for thousands during air attacks. The strikes affected areas around Kyiv’s central Independence Square, known as the Maidan, which symbolizes Ukraine’s resistance against Russia.

Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, had warned about Russia’s potential launch of an Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile meant to carry nuclear warheads. Russia previously used these missiles on Ukraine in 2024 and January, but with non-explosive dummies. These earlier attacks were seen as intimidation tactics toward Ukraine and its allies, rather than attempts to cause destruction. The Oreshnik acts as a tool of nuclear threat, used politically rather than as a direct weapon.

As of early Sunday, it was unclear if the Oreshnik had been deployed. This missile releases multiple warheads mid-flight, which rapidly descend on steep paths that American Patriot air defense systems cannot intercept. Reports from Bila Tserkva, a town approximately 50 miles south of Kyiv, suggested that a swift barrage of warheads characteristic of the Oreshnik may have landed there.