Massive Aerial Attack on Kyiv: 18 Killed Including Four Children; EU and UK Summon Russian Diplomats

Russia launched its second largest aerial assault on Kyiv since the invasion of Ukraine, resulting in at least 18 fatalities, including four children, as confirmed by officials. The European Union and British Council buildings sustained damage in the overnight strikes on Thursday.

Among the deceased are children aged 2, 17, and 14, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia deployed 629 air attack weapons, consisting of 598 drones and 31 missiles, during the night.

Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for the Ukrainian air force, described the attacks as “one of the largest combined attacks” on the country. Russia’s defense ministry claimed it targeted military-industrial complex enterprises and military air bases in Ukraine using high-precision weapons.

Russia expressed an interest in peace talks, but emphasized that the ongoing “special military operation” continues, as stated by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the assault as a “horrific and deliberate killing of civilians.”

Ukrainian authorities dispatched hundreds of responders to various locations impacted by the strikes, including a building used by the EU mission to Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed outrage over the incident, calling it “another grim reminder of what is at stake.”

In response to the attack, the EU has summoned the Russian envoy in Brussels, and the UK has summoned its ambassador, following damage sustained by a British Council building in Kyiv. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of targeting diplomats “in direct breach of the Vienna convention” and called for “worldwide condemnation.”

Residents of Kyiv endured an air raid alert lasting over nine hours, with many seeking shelter in subway stations. The all-clear was announced shortly before 7am local time.

The attack on Ukraine’s capital occurred less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to secure an end to the war. However, negotiations have stalled, with no indication that a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin will occur.

On Wednesday, Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky’s office, and Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, met with Saudi Arabia’s defense minister to discuss an end to the conflict. A Ukrainian delegation is also scheduled to meet US officials in New York on Friday.

Meanwhile, Putin plans to attend a massive military parade in China next week, alongside other guests including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia-friendly European leaders such as Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Slovakia’s Robert Fico.

The attack on Kyiv is the latest in a series of Russian assaults across Ukraine this week. Ukrainian open-source researchers confirmed that Russian troops had captured two villages in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, occupying Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka, according to DeepState, a group tracking battlefield developments.

Ukraine’s outmanned and outgunned military has faced challenges fending off Russian advances in much of the east as Moscow increases pressure on Kyiv to give up territory in any peace negotiations.

Zelensky wrote in his message following the latest overnight attacks that Russia chooses “ballistics instead of the negotiating table” and “continues killing instead of ending the war.” Tkachenko explained in his analysis of Russia’s latest strikes on Kyiv that the Kremlin has a typical “signature” which involves “combined attacks from different directions” and targeting “ordinary residential buildings.” Decoy missiles were used as false targets to confuse Ukrainian defense systems, according to the military chief.

Several high-rise residential buildings were damaged, as well as a kindergarten, private housing, non-residential blocks, offices, transport infrastructure, and dozens of cars, officials said. Friday has been declared a day of mourning in Kyiv, with flags flown at half-mast and entertainment events canceled.