Russia strikes central Kyiv with cluster munition Iskander missile

Russian forces launched a ballistic Iskander missile equipped with a K5 cluster munition warhead at the historic center of Kyiv during the night of October 21-22. According to Serhii Beskrestnov, a military expert advising the Ukrainian leadership, the warhead is designed to detonate above the ground, dispersing 58 explosive submunitions over a 400 by 400-meter area to maximize damage to people and equipment in densely populated zones.

Ukrainian officials stated the attack targeted the historic old town rather than military objectives, aiming to cause civilian casualties and widespread destruction. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that at least two people were killed and 34 others were injured in the strike. The incident occurred shortly after US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, highlighting a tension between new American diplomatic efforts and continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.