24 dead after Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine

At least 24 people, including three children, were killed in Kyiv when Russia struck the city with hundreds of missiles and drones on May 15, Ukrainian officials confirmed. A cruise missile hit an apartment building, leaving dozens injured, including a one-month-old infant, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. The attack followed a week of heavy Russian strikes and marked the largest sustained drone assault on a Ukrainian city during the four-year war, with Russia deploying 1,428 drones and decoys between May 14 and 15. Ukraine’s air defenses struggled to intercept all incoming missiles, allowing some to breach defenses. In response, Ukraine launched a long-range drone attack targeting Russia, striking the Ryazan oil refinery, located 133 miles south of Moscow. Kyiv and Lviv declared a day of mourning, with flags flown at half-staff as a sign of respect for the victims. Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously stated that the war was nearing its end, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim after the attack, calling it inconsistent with Russia’s actions. Meanwhile, teens gathered near the rubble of the struck apartment building, searching for survivors, including Masha, a seventh-floor resident whose body, along with those of her father and grandmother, was later recovered. Her mother remains in critical condition after being rescued by 18-year-old Ivan Zakharchuk, who climbed the wreckage to find her. Overnight, Latvia and Finland issued alerts about potential drone incursions, though none were confirmed. Latvia’s prime minister, Evika Siliņa, resigned amid Ukrainian drone strikes in the country earlier that week.