Russia carried out one of the largest air attacks of the war on Kyiv overnight. It fired more than 700 drones and over 50 missiles at Ukraine’s capital. The blasts shook central parts of the city hard. Loud explosions echoed near government offices and homes. Many families woke up terrified as thick smoke filled the sky. Videos online showed the scary sight of a cruise missile striking right in the heart of Kyiv. This became one of the biggest drone and missile strikes since the fighting started.
On Sunday, May 24, Russia confirmed the attacks. They used four different missiles, including the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik. Moscow said it was payback for Ukraine’s strikes on Russian civilian areas. The targets were military command centres, air bases, and defence factories. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the Oreshnik hit Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region. Ukraine’s Air Force counted around 600 drones and 90 missiles launched from air, sea, and ground. Their defences stopped or jammed many, but damage still hit nearly 40 places – homes, schools, supermarkets, and warehouses. At least two people lost their lives and 56 got injured.
The Oreshnik missile is grabbing huge attention everywhere. It is also called the Hazelnut missile because “Oreshnik” means hazelnut shrub or hazel tree in Russian. Just like a handful of hazelnuts growing together, this missile carries multiple warheads that split apart. People imagine it as a deadly bunch of nuts falling from the sky with unstoppable force.
This medium-range ballistic missile can travel 3,000 to 5,500 kilometres. It can easily reach far into Europe. Launched from mobile trucks, it shoots high into space, drops stages, and then dives down like a fiery arrow. Russia claims it flies at Mach 10 speed – ten times faster than sound, covering nearly 3 kilometres every second. At that pace, most air defence systems cannot catch up in time.
President Putin proudly says parts of the Oreshnik heat up to 5,500 degrees Celsius, almost as hot as the Sun’s surface. This extreme heat can turn buildings and objects into fine dust in seconds. He boasts it punches through underground bunkers three or four floors deep. One missile spreads up to six separate warheads, each with submunitions nicknamed “hazelnuts.” These can hit different spots at once, making it very hard to defend against. A few such missiles with normal warheads could create damage close to a small nuclear strike, though these attacks used conventional ones.
Russia developed the Oreshnik after Putin’s order in 2023. It first struck Dnipro in November 2024 and later hit western Ukraine. Experts link it to older Russian missile tech, but its speed and multiple targets make it feel like a new nightmare weapon. For families in Kyiv, it brings fresh worry. Parents hug their children tighter in shelters during booms. Elders wonder if their simple homes can survive such power. Schools and markets damaged mean daily life gets harder for everyone.
While leaders talk strategy and replies, ordinary hearts feel the real pain – lost loved ones, broken roofs, and sleepless nights full of fear. The Hazelnut missile adds a layer of dread because of its sci-fi like abilities. It climbs high, burns fierce, and strikes fast. As attacks continue, people across Ukraine and beyond watch the skies and hope for an end to this frightening chapter. The world wonders what new surprises this hazelnut-shaped terror might bring next.
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own and do not reflect those of News24)
First published on: May 24, 2026 10:32 PM IST
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