Russia Launches Second Biggest Aerial Attack on Kyiv Since Invasion, Killing 21 Including Four Children

In the early hours of Thursday, Kyiv was subjected to Russia’s second-largest aerial attack since its invasion of Ukraine, resulting in at least 21 fatalities, including four minors. The victims included children aged 2, 17, and 14, as per Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Multiple buildings associated with international organizations, such as those belonging to the European Union (EU) and the British Council, sustained damage in these attacks. Consequently, both the EU and the United Kingdom have recalled their top diplomats in Russia for discussions.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that 629 air attack weapons were launched by Russia overnight, consisting of 598 drones and 31 missiles. Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for the air force, described these strikes 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.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow’s interest in peace talks, but emphasized that the ongoing conflict, referred to by Russia as a “special military operation,” continues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the assault as a “deliberate killing of civilians.” He stated on his social media platform that these attacks were a response to those who have been advocating for a ceasefire and diplomacy for months.

Authorities in Ukraine reported that hundreds of responders were dispatched to multiple locations, including a building used by the EU mission to Ukraine. The EU mission, established in Kyiv since 1993, works towards promoting political and economic relations between Ukraine and the EU, among other mandates, as per its website.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed outrage over the incident, calling it “another grim reminder of what is at stake.” She stated that the attacks demonstrated Russia’s determination to terrorize Ukraine, indiscriminately killing civilians, including children and women.

Following the strikes, von der Leyen spoke with both Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. In a post on her platform, she also emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must come to the negotiating table.” The EU has summoned the Russian envoy in Brussels in response to the attack, as announced by the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas.

US President Donald Trump is reportedly neither happy nor surprised by the attacks, according to White House sources. He is closely monitoring the developments and wants both Putin and Zelensky to seek an end to the conflict.

A British Council building in Kyiv was also affected by the strikes, as confirmed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer accused Putin of targeting civilians and sabotaging peace efforts. In response, London has summoned the Russian ambassador, as announced by British foreign secretary David Lammy on social media.

The Spanish foreign ministry also declared it will be summoning the Russian embassy’s charge d’affaires in protest of the “unacceptable attack.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of targeting diplomats, violating the Vienna convention, and called for global condemnation.

The White House’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, also condemned the overnight attacks, stating that they pose a threat to the peace that Trump is pursuing. A resident of Kyiv, Vitaliy Protsiuk, shared his wife has been missing since the attack. The couple were preparing to seek shelter when an explosion occurred, burying Protsiuk and destroying several floors of their building.

Residents endured an air raid alert lasting over nine hours overnight, as per interior minister Ihor Klymenko. Pictures from agencies showed locals returning to subway stations where many spent the night. Residents were advised to stay in shelters during the strikes, and the all-clear was announced shortly before 7am local time.

The major attack on Ukraine’s capital comes just over two weeks after Trump held face-to-face talks with Putin, aiming to secure an end to the war. However, momentum around these discussions has stalled, with no signs of a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin occurring.

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, as announced by Zelensky.

Putin is set to travel to China next week for a massive military parade. Other attendees will include North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as Russia-friendly European leaders such as Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Slovakia’s Robert Fico.

This attack on Kyiv is the latest in a series of Russian assaults across Ukraine this week. Ukrainian open-source researchers confirmed on Tuesday that Russian troops had captured two villages in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region. Russian forces now control the villages of Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka, as reported by DeepState, a group tracking battlefield developments.

Ukraine’s outmanned and outgunned military has struggled to repel grinding Russian advances in much of the east as Moscow increases pressure on Kyiv to cede territory in any peace negotiations. “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Zelensky wrote on his social media platform after the latest overnight attacks. “It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war. And this means that Russia still does not fear the consequences.”

In his analysis of Russia’s latest strikes on Kyiv, Tkachenko explained 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, the military chief added.

Several high-rise residential buildings, a kindergarten, private housing, non-residential blocks, offices, transport infrastructure, and dozens of cars sustained damage, according to officials. Friday has been declared a day of mourning in Kyiv, as announced by city authorities. Flags will be flown at half-mast, with entertainment events canceled, they added.