At least 17 people, including four children, were killed early Thursday in one of the heaviest Russian assaults on Kyiv in months, a barrage that ripped into the heart of the capital and damaged the European Union’s diplomatic mission. Forty-eight others were wounded, and officials warned the toll could rise.
The strike, which came as peace efforts led by Washington struggle to gain traction, shattered residential blocks, a shopping mall and even the British Council’s office, which reported its guard injured but stable. Kyiv’s city administration chief Tymur Tkachenko said debris and direct hits damaged at least 33 locations across all ten districts, blowing out thousands of windows and leaving nearly 100 buildings scarred.
Among the dead were children between the ages of 2 and 17.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 598 drones and decoys alongside 31 missiles nationwide, with most targeting the capital. Russia’s defense ministry claimed it struck military air bases and companies tied to Ukraine’s defense industry, using long-range weapons including Kinzhal missiles.
European officials were quick to respond. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said two strikes landed just 50 meters from the EU mission building. “No diplomatic mission should ever be a target,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, announcing she would summon Russia’s envoy in Brussels.
In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the strikes “senseless” and summoned Moscow’s ambassador.
The rare bombardment of Kyiv’s center came less than two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump met Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss ending the war, now in its third year. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the assault shows Moscow has chosen “ballistics instead of the negotiating table.” He urged stronger sanctions, warning that global silence risks rewarding aggression.
The Kremlin, however, insisted it remains open to talks. Trump, frustrated by what he sees as Putin’s stalling, said he expects to decide on next steps within two weeks if direct talks with Zelenskyy are not scheduled.
On the ground, civilians are left counting the cost with many noting that such attacks have not happened so close before.
Ukraine’s rail operator also reported damage to lines in the Vinnytsia and Kyiv regions, forcing trains onto alternate routes. Meanwhile, Russian officials said Ukrainian drones struck refineries in Krasnodar and Samara, sparking fires and deepening energy strains inside Russia.