Russian forces launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv and Kharkiv overnight on May 24, 2024 [1], [2].
These strikes target critical civilian infrastructure and first responders, escalating the humanitarian toll in eastern and central Ukraine. The coordination of drones and missiles indicates a sustained effort by Moscow to disrupt urban stability.
Reports indicate that Russia launched 90 missiles during the operation [3]. In Kharkiv, the strikes killed five emergency workers [1]. Across Ukraine, the total death toll from the attacks reached at least 22 people [2]. In the capital city of Kyiv and its surrounding region, dozens of people were injured [1].
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously warned that Moscow was planning a "massive new strike" [2]. Following the attacks, an unnamed Ukrainian minister said Putin "should be damned for centuries" [4].
There are contradictions in the reported casualty figures. While one report cited eight deaths across both Russian and Ukrainian territory within a 24-hour period [5], other reports focused specifically on the Ukrainian toll, placing the number of deaths at 22 or more [2].
The strikes hit both the city of Kharkiv and the Kyiv region [1], though some reports suggest the primary targets were the capital and its outskirts [3]. Russian military operations continue to focus on these areas to strike civilian targets as part of the ongoing war [1], [2].
“At least 22 people died across Ukraine in a large-scale attack.”
The targeting of emergency workers in Kharkiv and the scale of the 90-missile barrage highlight a strategy of attrition aimed at degrading Ukraine's internal rescue and recovery capabilities. By striking both the political center in Kyiv and the eastern hub of Kharkiv simultaneously, Russia continues to stretch Ukrainian air defenses and emergency services across multiple fronts.
