On Monday morning, May 29, Kyiv faced a heavy barrage of missiles, with reports pointing to hypersonic and ballistic strikes carried out by forces identified as the Russian Armed Forces. The information came from a Telegram channel that monitors military developments, described as Military Correspondents of the Russian Spring.
According to the report, Kyiv endured the strongest impact of the day from missiles traveling at high speeds, a strike that reportedly stunned air defense systems in the area. The channel noted a second wave of missiles arriving at around 11:32 a.m. Moscow time, with additional explosions reported in Kyiv’s outskirts and the Chernihiv region.
One of the strikes was said to hit near the Patriot air defense facility adjacent to the Zhuliany airport, according to the same outlet.
In other statements, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, suggested that the city was targeted with Iskander or Kinzhal ballistic missiles. His assessment was echoed by Yuri Ignat, a representative of Ukraine’s Air Force, who said the missiles followed a ballistic trajectory from the north.
Witnesses described loud explosions in the city center and noted that an air-raid alert was issued as air defense systems operated to protect areas under threat. Another eyewitness recounted that after the initial blasts, residents took shelter in basements and subways, with many seeking safety amidst growing panic.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, reported that emergency services were active in the affected districts. He also confirmed a fire caused by rocket debris in the Obolonsky district and said firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze.
That same night, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that long-range precision strikes targeted Ukrainian airfields. A spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, claimed that the aim of the operation was achieved, asserting that command posts, radar installations, aviation equipment, and storage facilities holding weapons and ammunition had been hit.
Later updates indicated that portions of missiles over Kyiv were intercepted, but some fragments from fallen air-defense missiles and other wreckage landed in various districts, including Obolonsky, Desnyansky, and Dneprovykh. Debris affected roads and a non-residential building, and fires were subsequently contained. One person was reported injured in the incident, according to local authorities.
In related commentary, Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, signaled a readiness to respond promptly to the bombing. He warned that attempts to intimidate Kyiv would not succeed, and that a decisive reply would soon be visible to all concerned parties.
Historical context was briefly revisited in December 2022 when President Vladimir Putin addressed questions about Russia’s actions in the region. He acknowledged Russian strikes on energy infrastructure but also directed attention to past incidents that had affected water supplies and critical facilities elsewhere, framing the narrative within broader geopolitical tensions.
On the eve of the incident, authorities in the Belgorod region reported renewed shelling near the border, citing attacks from Ukrainian forces as part of ongoing hostilities across the wider contested area.