KYIV — A massive Russian air assault on Ukraine’s capital early Thursday killed at least 17 people, including four children, and wounded 48 others in one of the largest attacks on Kyiv in months.
The barrage of drones and missiles struck 33 sites across all 10 of the city’s districts, shattering thousands of windows, damaging nearly 100 buildings, and setting fire to a shopping mall in the city centre. In a rare strike on the heart of Kyiv, blasts landed near the European Union’s diplomatic mission, prompting Brussels to summon Russia’s envoy. The British Council also reported heavy damage to its office, with one guard injured.
“It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” said Oleksandr Khilko, who pulled survivors from the rubble of a residential building in the Darnytsia district. “With every cell of my body I want this war to end as soon as possible.”
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 598 drones and decoys alongside 31 missiles, including Kinzhal hypersonic weapons, claiming to target Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex.” Kyiv officials countered that the strikes were indiscriminate, hitting homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
The attack comes just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump met Vladimir Putin in Alaska to push peace talks, efforts now rattled by Russia’s escalation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes as proof that Moscow “chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” urging harsher U.S. sanctions if Putin continues to stall.
Western leaders echoed outrage. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the strike near the EU mission “unacceptable,” while U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Russia of “sabotaging” peace hopes. Both summoned Russian envoys for explanations.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s drone campaign inside Russia continued, sparking fires at refineries in Krasnodar and Samara, highlighting the tit-for-tat strikes that have come to define the war’s third year.
Despite Russia’s assurances that it remains committed to negotiations, Thursday’s destruction underscored the fragility of peace efforts and the mounting toll on civilians caught in the crossfire.