Russian missiles demolished Chornobyl museum in Kyiv, strike caught on camera
Russia destroyed the National Chornobyl Museum in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 24 (photo: @dsns_kyiv_region)
The Russian Federation launched missiles at the building of the National Chornobyl Museum in Kyiv, Ukraine, during its overnight assault on the capital on May 24. The damage is significant. The museum's newly updated exhibition has been destroyed, Yaroslav Yemelianenko, head of the Association of Chornobyl Tour Operators, reported.
According to Yemelianenko, the strike occurred at 3:50 a.m., when two missiles hit the city less than a minute apart. Both flew over Saint Sophia Cathedral in central Kyiv toward the Podil district, where the museum lay in their path.
"I saw that the Chornobyl Museum was on their trajectory. But I hoped for the best. Unfortunately not. At the scene, it became clear that the roof of the building was on fire and part of the rear wall of the third exhibition hall had been destroyed," the author of the video said.
Emergency responders extinguished the fire. The museum's new exhibition, which had reopened exactly one month earlier after a lengthy restoration, was also damaged.
Stunning video of #Russia's attack on the #National #Chornobyl #Museum in #Kyiv, #Ukraine, at dawn on May 24 pic.twitter.com/338VFBzlHm
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) May 24, 2026
"The museum is gone, the Chornobyl store is gone. This is not by accident that they target our history," Yemelianenko wrote.
According to him, some artifacts were saved, while others were lost. Museum staff are now drying Chornobyl embroidered items, cleaning books belonging to liquidators, and restoring other exhibits.
The association head also said that during the emergency response, a looter was detained in a nearby apartment and handed over to the police. The blast wave shattered windows in buildings adjacent to the museum.
During the night of May 24, Russia launched a massive combined attack on Ukraine using ballistic missiles and drones.
The capital Kyiv was the main target, with damage reported at around 50 locations, including residential buildings, shopping facilities, schools, a market, and administrative buildings belonging to the police and the State Emergency Service.
The number of people injured in Kyiv exceeded 80, and fatalities were also reported. The Chornobyl Museum held the status of a national heritage site, and its updated exhibition had reopened only in late April.
