Macron Condemns Russia's Oreshnik Missile Attack on Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron has issued strong condemnation after Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine using hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, including the hypersonic Oreshnik missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The large-scale assault targeted civilian areas, killing at least four people.

According to detikNews, Macron made the statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, 24 May 2026, describing the attack as a serious escalation in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. ‘Russia’s attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine continue… France condemns this attack and the use of the Oreshnik ballistic missile,’ he wrote, adding that the assault marks a dead end for Russia’s aggressive war.

The Russian attack followed threats by President Vladimir Putin to retaliate against Ukrainian strikes on occupied territories. AFP reported loud explosions in Kyiv throughout the early hours.

Shortly after, Russia bombarded Kyiv with missiles and drones in one of its largest recent assaults, killing four people by Sunday morning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia employed the advanced hypersonic Oreshnik missile in the attack. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 600 drones and 90 missiles. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said two people died in the capital and 56 were injured, while the head of the surrounding Kyiv region reported two more deaths and nine injuries.

Ukrainian air defence intercepted 549 drones and 55 missiles. Zelensky said Russia fired the Oreshnik missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, during the assault. ‘Three Russian missiles struck water supply facilities, a market caught fire, dozens of residential buildings were damaged, several ordinary schools, and he [Putin] launched his “Oreshnik” at Bila Tserkva [in central Ukraine],’ Zelensky wrote on Telegram. ‘They are completely mad,’ he added.

The Oreshnik missile is reported to travel over ten times the speed of sound. Currently, no technology has been reported capable of stopping it. The explosions in the capital caused a residential building near the government district to shake, while dozens of residents sought shelter in underground metro stations in the city centre.