BRUSSELS, May 24, 2026 — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned Russia’s largest overnight attack on Kyiv in months Sunday, calling it a display of “the Kremlin’s brutality and disregard for both human life and peace negotiations” and pledging additional European air defense support for Ukraine.
“Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine last night shows the Kremlin’s brutality and disregard for both human life and peace negotiations,” von der Leyen wrote on X. “Terror against civilians is not strength. It’s despair. We stand firmly with Ukraine, with further support on the way to reinforce its air defence systems.”
The Scale of the Attack
Russia launched approximately 90 missiles and 600 drones at Ukraine overnight — one of the largest combined barrages of the four-year war — with Kyiv as the primary target, according to Al Jazeera. Ukrainian authorities said at least four people were killed and more than 80 injured, with damage recorded in 40 locations across several districts of the capital including residential buildings, schools, and a water supply facility.
Russia confirmed it deployed an Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile — a nuclear-capable weapon — in the attack, marking only the third time the weapon has been used in the conflict, according to the Kyiv Independent. Russia’s defense ministry said the strike also used Iskander ballistic missiles, Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Tsirkon cruise missiles, and drones.
Damage was recorded in every district of Kyiv, according to city military administration head Tymur Tkachenko. The attack struck the Ancient Kyiv Historical and Architectural Preserve and nearly destroyed the National Chornobyl Museum, Ukrainian officials said. Three Russian missiles were aimed at a water supply facility. Poland’s Air Force scrambled Polish and allied fighter jets to protect Polish airspace in response.
Russia’s Justification
Russia framed the strike as retaliation for Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine. Putin accused Ukraine of a “terrorist” act after Russian state media reported that Ukrainian drones struck a college dormitory in Starobilsk, a Russian-occupied town in Luhansk, on Friday — claiming 18 people killed, including children, according to CNN. Ukraine disputed that account, saying it targeted only military facilities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russian attack “crazy,” telling Al Jazeera it was unconscionable that Russia was striking civilian and cultural structures including the Chernobyl Museum. “Rescuers and police officers continue to work at the sites where residential infrastructure was hit,” Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs said.
Von der Leyen’s Air Defense Pledge
Von der Leyen’s pledge to reinforce Ukraine’s air defense systems came as Ukrainian defenses faced one of their most intense tests of the war. The Ukrainian Air Force said air defenses intercepted a large portion of the incoming projectiles, but the sheer volume of the attack — with monitoring groups tracking more than 50 missiles and upward of 700 drones — overwhelmed coverage in parts of the capital.
The European Union has been a primary supplier of air defense equipment and ammunition to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. EU member states have collectively provided billions of euros in military assistance, including Patriot missile systems, IRIS-T air defense batteries, and artillery ammunition. Von der Leyen’s Sunday post signaled that additional tranches of air defense support are in preparation in response to the escalating Russian strikes.
Attacks Amid Diplomacy
The timing of the strike was particularly striking given the diplomatic activity swirling around the war. Russia’s overnight attack came as the United States was engaged in active diplomacy over a potential Iran nuclear deal and as European leaders were pressing for renewed Ukraine peace talks. Von der Leyen’s specific mention of Russia’s “disregard for peace negotiations” reflected European frustration that Moscow was escalating militarily even as diplomatic channels remain nominally open.
According to UN News, the senior UN official in Ukraine called for an end to civilian harm following the attack. A 13-year-old Kyiv resident whose apartment was struck told UNICEF staff on the scene: “I just really hope my neighbours and friends are alive.”
Total Russian combat losses since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022 through May 24, 2026 stand at approximately 1,355,920 personnel, according to Ukrainian military figures cited by Ukrinform.