Russia Launches Deadly Aerial Attack on Kyiv: 19 Killed Including Four Children, EU and British Council Buildings Damaged

In the early hours of today, Kyiv experienced Russia’s second largest aerial assault since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 individuals, including four children, as reported by officials.

Among the casualties were three children aged 2, 17, and 14, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched 629 air attack weapons overnight, comprising 598 drones and 31 missiles. Yuriy Ihnat, head of communications for the air force, described the strikes as “one of the largest combined attacks” on the country.

Russia’s defense ministry claimed they targeted “military-industrial complex enterprises and military air bases in Ukraine” using “high-precision weapons.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asserted that Moscow remains interested in peace talks but emphasized that the ongoing “special military operation,” Russia’s term for the war, continues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the assault as a “horrific and deliberate killing of civilians” on his social media platform. He expressed that these attacks were a response to global efforts calling for a ceasefire and diplomacy.

Ukrainian authorities reported sending hundreds of responders to multiple locations, including a building used by the EU mission to Ukraine. The EU, which has been based in Kyiv since 1993, aims to promote political and economic relations between Ukraine and the EU.

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 Russia is intentionally terrorizing Ukraine by indiscriminately killing civilians, including children and women, and even targeting EU structures.

Following the attacks, von der Leyen spoke with both Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, also stating 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.

A British Council building in Kyiv was also damaged during the strikes, according to UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who condemned Putin for killing civilians and sabotaging peace efforts. London has summoned the Russian ambassador, as confirmed by British foreign secretary David Lammy on social media, adding that “the killing and destruction must stop.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of targeting diplomats in violation of the Vienna convention and called for worldwide condemnation. The White House’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, also denounced the overnight strikes, expressing concern that these attacks threaten ongoing peace efforts.

Vitaliy Protsiuk, a resident of Kyiv, reported his wife missing following the attack. The couple were preparing to go to their building’s bomb shelter when an explosion occurred, burying Protsiuk. As of now, his wife has not been found.

Residents endured an air raid alert lasting over nine hours, according to interior minister Ihor Klymenko. Agency pictures showed locals returning once more 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 Donald 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 taking place.

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 delegation from Ukraine is also set to meet US officials in New York on Friday, as announced by President Zelensky.

Putin is scheduled to travel to China next week to attend a massive military parade. Other guests 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.

The 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 occupy the villages of Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka, according to DeepState, a group tracking battlefield developments.

Ukraine’s outmanned and outgunned military has struggled to fend off grinding Russian advances in much of the east as Moscow increases pressure on Kyiv to give up territory in any peace negotiations. In his analysis of Russia’s latest strikes on Kyiv, Tkachenko stated that the Kremlin has a typical “signature” involving “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, a kindergarten, private housing, non-residential blocks, offices, transport infrastructure, and dozens of cars were damaged, officials reported. Friday has been declared a day of mourning in Kyiv, with flags flown at half-mast, and entertainment events canceled.