Russia Strikes Kyiv with Hypersonic Oreshnik Missile, Killing 2 and Injuring 77

In the early hours of Sunday, May 24, Russia launched one of its most intense attacks on Kyiv since the war began — and this one came with a weapon that's hard to ignore. At least two people were killed and 77 injured in the attack, which included the use of a powerful hypersonic ballistic missile called the Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

To give you a sense of the scale: Ukraine's air force said Russia used 600 drones and 90 missiles in the attack. That's not a skirmish — that's an all-out barrage. The good news? Ukrainian air defense forces intercepted most of the drones and more than half of the missiles. But what got through was enough to spark fires across the city and shake buildings for hours.

Now, the Oreshnik — here's why that name matters. Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds of at least Mach 5 — five times the speed of sound — and can maneuver mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept. The Oreshnik is also a nuclear-capable weapon, meaning it is designed to be able to carry a nuclear warhead, even if it is not always deployed with one. In plain English: it's fast, it's nearly impossible to shoot down, and Russia can theoretically strap a nuclear warhead on it. Putin has been very public about this — in 2024, he said the missile travels "like a meteorite," cannot be stopped by air defense, and can obliterate underground bunkers.

In a video posted to social media on Sunday, Zelenskyy said an Oreshnik missile hit Bila Tserkva, a city about 50 miles south of Kyiv. It's the third time Russian forces have used this missile during its full-scale war on Ukraine. That matters because each use signals that Russia is normalizing a weapon it once held as a trump card.

Here's the context that makes this hit differently: the extensive strikes came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alerted Ukrainians that large strikes involving an Oreshnik were imminent, citing European and U.S. intelligence. They knew it was coming — and it still happened. That should tell you something about where peace efforts stand right now.

Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kyiv said "what these overnight strikes tell us is that both sides are moving more towards escalation than they are towards peace." That's the uncomfortable truth underneath all the headlines. Ceasefire talks have been sputtering, both sides have been trading strikes and blame, and the latest attack risks undermining those ceasefire negotiations, at a time when the two sides remain far apart on core issues such as territory.

Why does this matter to you personally? Because this isn't just a faraway conflict. Every Oreshnik launch is a test — of NATO's resolve, of Western Europe's security, and of how far Russia is willing to go. Energy prices, defense spending in countries you rely on, and the general stability of Europe all run through what happens in Kyiv. This war is in its fifth year, and instead of winding down, Sunday's attack shows it's still very much escalating.