Full Breakdown
Russian Iskander Missile Destroys UN Food Aid Warehouse in Dnipro
5/27/2026, 3:00:47 AM
Missile Strike on Humanitarian Warehouse
On 25 May 2024 a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile struck a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. The impact punctured the marked roof and destroyed pallets of canned food and other supplies. No WFP staff were injured. The destroyed stock, worth about $1.4 million, was intended for 130 000 civilians near the front line.
Background & Recent Pattern of Attacks
The strike follows a series of attacks on UN-marked sites. The same WFP warehouse was damaged by a Russian drone in November 2025. On 20 May 2024 a Russian missile destroyed a UNHCR warehouse in Dnipro, killing two and wiping out aid worth over $1 million. In the past 18 months the WFP has logged more than 84 incidents affecting warehouses, transport and distribution points across Ukraine.
Impact on Aid Delivery
The May 25 strike eliminated $1.4 million in food aid, depriving 130 000 civilians of essential nutrition. Together with the May 20 UNHCR loss of over $1 million, more than $2.4 million in supplies have been removed from the region, highlighting the threat to aid logistics.
Official Statements & Responses
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres to use all instruments to stop “reckless attacks” on humanitarian operations. The WFP called the strike a targeted Iskander attack and reiterated that international humanitarian law bars attacks on civilian and humanitarian infrastructure. UNHCR described the assaults as a clear violation of international law, saying civilians and aid workers must never be targeted.
Criticism & Opposition
Humanitarian NGOs and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have condemned the attacks as violations of international humanitarian law and called for accountability, warning that repeated strikes on aid facilities jeopardize civilian protection and impede life-saving assistance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This attack is yet another demonstration of Russia’s true attitude toward the UN and its member states, as well as blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law,” — Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Foreign Minister
- “Targeting humanitarians trying to save innocent civilians affected by war is a crime and a violation of international humanitarian law.” — Richard Ragan, WFP Representative in Ukraine
- “The repeated attacks against humanitarians on duty are a clear violation of international law. Civilians and humanitarians must never be targets,” — UNHCR
- “At the time of the attack, the facility was storing humanitarian food assistance sufficient to support 130,000 people. Its estimated value was $1.4 million,” — World Food Programme statement
What’s Next
The Ukrainian government plans to raise the issue at the next UN Security Council meeting and to seek stronger protective measures for humanitarian convoys. The WFP is evaluating alternative storage sites to resume aid distribution to the affected population.
