Massive Air Assault on Kyiv: May 24 Attack
On May 24, Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Kyiv, with an estimated cost of $361.2 million (over 15 billion UAH). The attack involved 690 aerial threats, including 90 missiles of various types and 600 drones. According to data from ArmyInform, the strikes were directed exclusively at civilian infrastructure and residential buildings, not military targets. This assault represents one of the most expensive single-day attacks on the capital since the war began.
Weapons Used in the Attack
The following aerial weapons were deployed:
- One medium-range ballistic missile (Oreshnik), valued at $50 million;
- Two Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, with a combined cost of approximately $10 million;
- Three 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles, worth $16.2 million;
- 30 Iskander-M and S-400 ballistic missiles, totaling $120 million;
- 54 Kh-101, Iskander-K, and Kalibr cruise missiles, costing $135 million;
- 600 attack drones, loitering munitions, and decoy UAVs, valued at $30 million.
In response to this aggression, Ukraine has called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council and a joint session of the OSCE Forum. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it carried out a group strike with precision weapons overnight on May 24, stating that the targets were military command centers, airbases, and defense industry facilities. However, experts argue that the scale and nature of the attack indicate a deliberate campaign of terror against civilians.
'To put this in perspective: this amount equals the annual budgets of dozens of small towns or hundreds of villages within Russia itself.' - analyst
This attack underscores Russia's ongoing aggressive strategy, aimed at destabilizing Ukraine through targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure. With no major battlefield victories, such actions may reflect an attempt to intimidate the population and weaken Ukrainian morale. Ukraine's appeals to the international community highlight the urgent need for intensified diplomatic efforts to address the situation and protect civilians from further assaults.
This recent strike is part of a larger pattern of aggression, as evidenced by previous attacks involving significant missile and drone launches. For a detailed account of a similar incident where Russia deployed 90 missiles and 600 drones against Ukraine, read more here. Understanding the scale and implications of these assaults is crucial to grasping the ongoing conflict's dynamics.