The key facts
- Zelensky adviser Beskrestnov reported an Iskander missile strike with a K5 cluster warhead on central Kyiv
- According to Zelensky, at least 2 people were killed and 34 wounded, including 5 children; air defenses intercepted 181 of 210 drones
- The attack came hours after Witkoff's meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg
Strike on the historic center of Kyiv
Russian forces struck the historic center of Kyiv with a ballistic Iskander missile carrying a cluster warhead on the night of Thursday, October 22, said Serhiy Beskrestnov (call sign 'Flash'), an adviser to the President of Ukraine. According to him, the missile was equipped with a K5 warhead, which detonates above the ground and scatters explosive submunitions over a large area. 'This warhead detonates above the ground and is used specifically to inflict maximum damage on people and equipment over an area of 400 by 400 meters,' Beskrestnov said, adding that up to 58 explosive elements detonate in the air. He accused Moscow of deliberately striking civilians and the Old City rather than a military target: 'This strike was not carried out for military objectives. The aim was to destroy part of the Old City and injure as many people as possible.'
Scale of the attack and casualties
The strike was part of a massive air attack on Kyiv and the surrounding region on the night of October 21–22. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at least two people were killed and 34 wounded, including five children. The shelling came in several waves: ballistic missiles and drones hit residential areas, transport facilities and medical infrastructure. Kyiv authorities reported damage in the Holosiivskyi, Obolonskyi, Pecherskyi, Sviatoshynskyi and Dniprovskyi districts. Zelensky said a total of 21 missiles were fired at the city and condemned the repeated attacks: 'Since the evening, Kyiv has been hit by three waves of ballistic strikes by Russian
