Ukraine endured one of the largest aerial assaults of the full-scale war overnight on May 24, as russian forces launched a massive combined strike involving ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and hundreds of drones. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, a total of 690 aerial targets were detected during the attack, including 90 missiles and 600 unmanned aerial vehicles. Kyiv was identified as the primary target of the operation.
One of the most notable aspects of the attack was the reported launch of a medium-range ballistic missile from the Kapustin Yar test range in russia's Astrakhan region. While Ukrainian officials did not officially specify the missile type, the launch location strongly suggests the possible use of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile.
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Among the weapons used were Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Kh-101 cruise missiles, Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles, and even 3M22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship missiles. Russia also deployed Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, which are specifically designed to challenge air defense systems due to their speed and maneuverability.
In addition to the missile barrage, russian forces launched 600 drones of various types. These included Shahed loitering munitions, Gerbera and Italmas drones, as well as Parodiya decoy UAVs designed to overload and confuse Ukrainian air defenses. The use of imitation drones alongside strike UAVs reflects Moscow's continued reliance on saturation tactics intended to exhaust interceptor stocks and create gaps in defensive coverage.
Despite the scale of the assault, Ukraine's air defense network achieved a significant interception rate. Ukrainian defenders reportedly shot down or suppressed 604 aerial targets, including 55 missiles and 549 drones. Air defense units, aviation, electronic warfare systems, mobile fire groups, and drone-interception teams all contributed to repelling the attack.
The interception tally included the destruction of 11 Iskander-M or S-400 ballistic missiles and 44 cruise missiles. Ukrainian officials also stated that an additional 19 enemy missiles likely failed to reach their intended targets, although investigations into their final trajectories and possible crash sites are still ongoing.
However, the attack still caused damage across multiple regions. Ukrainian authorities confirmed direct hits by 16 missiles and 51 strike drones at 54 separate locations. Debris from intercepted UAVs also fell in at least 23 locations.
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