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New wave of attacks escalates Ukraine war

May 24, 2026, 6:20pm EDT
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Viacheslav Ratynskyi/Reuters

Russia on Sunday attacked Ukraine in one of the largest aerial assaults of the war, signaling a new wave of escalation as it used a rarely launched hypersonic ballistic missile.

The use of the Oreshnik missile, which Russia has used against Ukraine only twice before, came after the Kremlin accused Kyiv of striking a college dormitory, killing 21 people, and vowed retaliation.

Russia had halted attacks earlier this month as part of a brief US-brokered ceasefire, but broader peace talks are frozen as the two sides remain deadlocked on the battlefield and Ukraine uses drones to strike deeper into Russian territory.

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