The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak

The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak

NEWSFLASH: Russia’s scariest attack yet

Hypersonic missiles and hundreds of drones damaged museums, a metro station, an ambassador’s home, and Ukraine’s first-ever McDonald’s.

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Oleksandra Poda and Kateryna Antonenko
May 24, 2026
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Editor’s Note:

Last night, as Zelenskyy warned of an incoming Russian attack, Tim reached out to the team at The Counteroffensive.

The next morning, Myroslava, our managing editor, checked in to make sure each member of our team had survived the night, as she does after every big attack.

This is how our team supports one another during wartime. And your support, as readers and paid subscribers, is the reason we are able to keep doing our jobs.

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For the first time, Russia used the Oreshnik hypersonic missile against Kyiv Oblast, a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads that Russia claims no existing air defense system can intercept. It struck the city of Bila Tserkva, located 80 kilometers (about 50 miles) south of the capital.

Estimated movements of aerial targets in Ukrainian airspace on the night of May 23-24. Photo from the monitoring channel.

After the paywall:

-What is an Oreshnik missile, and where did it land?
-Which landmarks in Kyiv were destroyed?
-What did the world boxing champion say about the attack after his victory last night?

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