Zelensky visits sites hit in Kyiv attack

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited sites damaged in Kyiv after Russia’s overnight missile-and-drone attack on May 24, including the National Chornobyl Museum, according to Ukrainian officials and the president’s public remarks. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said about 50 locations across the capital were hit or damaged. Zelenskyy said the strike also damaged the National Art Museum of Ukraine and a building that housed an office of German broadcaster ARD. In his May 24 address, he said Ukraine needed more air defense, “especially anti-ballistic capabilities.” ### Which sites did Zelenskyy inspect in Kyiv? The National Chornobyl Museum was one of the sites Zelenskyy visited on May 24, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the president’s Facebook post and Klymenko. Zelenskyy said the museum was effectively destroyed in the attack. He also said the National Art Museum of Ukraine was damaged. Kyiv officials said the damage extended well beyond cultural sites. (pravda.com.ua) Klymenko said apartment blocks, houses, shopping centres, educational institutions, a market, office buildings of the State Emergency Service and the police were among the damaged locations. ### How broad was the attack on Kyiv? Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said damage was recorded “in every district of the city,” according to the Kyiv Independent’s report on the attack. (pravda.com.ua) That report said Ukraine’s Air Force counted 90 missiles and 600 drones in the broader overnight assault, describing it as one of the largest attacks in the past year. ABC News, citing Ukrainian officials, reported that at least four people were killed and 83 injured across Ukraine in the wider attack. (pravda.com.ua) Zelenskyy said Kyiv was the main target. ### What did Ukrainian officials say about the immediate response? Ihor Klymenko said engineering, robotic and unmanned equipment had been deployed to deal with the aftermath of the strike. (kyivindependent.com) He said large fires at many locations created risks for rescue workers and that one damaged building suffered a secondary structural collapse later in the morning. Rescue workers evacuated 12 people in the first minutes after the strikes from one damaged accommodation site, Klymenko said, and helped dozens more residents leave apartment buildings that had caught fire. (abcnews.com) He also said facilities belonging to the Interior Ministry system, including a district police department and a regional State Emergency Service directorate, were affected. ### What did Zelenskyy say after the visit? (pravda.com.ua) In his May 24 address, Zelenskyy said it was “critically important” to keep working to secure air defense for Ukraine, “especially anti-ballistic capabilities.” He said Russia remained a constant threat and urged partners not to stay silent. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Zelenskyy said he had already spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and was preparing additional conversations after the attack. (pravda.com.ua) ### Was this tied to other recent military developments? On May 23, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had carried out a “successful long-range sanction” at a distance of 1,700 kilometers from the state border, in language he has used for long-range strikes on Russian infrastructure. (president.gov.ua) In a separate May 23 warning reported by Reuters, he said Russia was preparing a strike using a hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, citing Ukrainian, U.S. and European intelligence. (pravda.com.ua) Reuters reported that the warning came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to prepare retaliation options after a Ukrainian drone strike in Russian-controlled Luhansk. By May 24, Reuters said Kyiv had been hit by a massive strike of missiles and drones early on Sunday. ### What comes next after the Kyiv visit? (president.gov.ua) May 24 statements from Zelenskyy and his office pointed to two immediate next steps: continued rescue and recovery work in Kyiv and further calls with foreign leaders on air defense support. The Presidential Office posted Zelenskyy’s latest address on May 24, and Ukrainian officials continued publishing damage assessments as emergency crews worked across the capital. (president.gov.ua) (usnews.com)