Kyiv was struck by a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack early on May 23, just hours after Ukraine and Russia conducted their first prisoner exchange in nearly five months. The air assault was one of the most intense in recent weeks, targeting the Ukrainian capital with ballistic and cruise missiles.

“Big, building-shaking Russian attack on Ukraine overnight – drones and ballistic missiles targeted Ukraine’s capital and other cities. Air defences lit up the sky, with several loud blasts one after the next. It went on for hours,” Christopher Miller, the FT correspondent in Kyiv, said on social media. “This morning, Zelenskiy said Russia had launched “250 strike drones, the absolute majority of them Iranian Shaheds, and 14 ballistic missiles”.”

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 53 missiles and drones in the overnight attack. Ukrainian air defences intercepted 35 of the aerial threats, but several residential buildings were hit and set on fire, according to the country’s military authorities. Initially, there were no fatalities and eight residents were reportedly injured and taken to hospital. Later on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported there were some deaths.

“The Odesa, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kyiv, Dnipro regions suffered damages,” Zelenskiy said. “All strikes targeted civilians. There are fatalities.”

Kyiv's military administration stated that the capital was targeted by missiles launched from Tu-95MS strategic bombers and Iskander-M ballistic missiles.

"The enemy continues missile terror against Ukraine," said Ukraine's Air Force, confirming the multi-directional nature of the strikes. Air raid alerts were triggered across multiple regions, including Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.

In Kyiv, missile debris caused damage in several districts. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the Dniprovskyi and Holosiivskyi districts were particularly affected, with residential buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure sustaining damage. Emergency services responded to fires and conducted evacuations.

"In the Dniprovskyi district, a fire broke out on the upper floors of a multi-storey residential building due to falling debris. There may be people under the rubble," Klitschko said on social media.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs reported damage to homes, a kindergarten, and civilian infrastructure in several areas, including Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk. "Our task is to record every crime so that no Russian atrocity is left without consequences," said Internal Affairs Minister Ihor Klymenko.

The attack came shortly after Ukraine and Russia completed a prisoner exchange that saw 75 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians returned home. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said 75 of its servicemen were also freed in the exchange.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the release on social media: "Our people are home. We remember everyone. We try to return everyone." He thanked the Ukrainian military intelligence agency and others involved in the operation.

The swap marked the first since early January and occurred amid heightened hostilities on the front lines, particularly in the eastern Donetsk and Kharkiv regions. The exchange was part of an agreement made at the first direct contact between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on May 16 to exchange 1,000 POWs each.