Russia Launches Ukraine’s Largest Air Attack, Hits Kyiv

Collected photo

Russia carried out its largest-ever aerial assault on Ukraine early Sunday, killing four people and setting Kyiv’s government building ablaze, an attack President Volodymyr Zelensky warned would prolong the war.

The strike marked the first time Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers, a central government complex in Kyiv, was hit. Reporters saw flames on the roof and smoke rising over the capital. Drone strikes also damaged several high-rise buildings, according to emergency services.

Russia has shown no signs of slowing its three-and-a-half-year invasion, continuing to make hardline demands despite US-led efforts to broker peace.

Residents expressed frustration over the attacks. “This is already routine for us,” said Olga, 30, who lives in a damaged building. She described a pattern of drone strikes followed by rockets.

Emergency teams used helicopters to douse flames on the government building, while police cordoned off the area. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the buildings will be restored, but lives lost cannot be recovered.

Russia denied targeting the government building, claiming it struck a plant and logistics hub, insisting no other Kyiv sites were hit.

The Ukrainian air force reported at least 810 drones and 13 missiles were fired between late Saturday and early Sunday, setting a new record. Zelensky called the attacks deliberate crimes, delaying diplomatic efforts.

European leaders condemned the assault. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged support for Ukraine’s defence, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen criticised Moscow’s actions as mocking diplomacy.

The attacks killed at least four civilians in Kyiv, including a mother and her two-month-old son, and wounded dozens. A pregnant woman gave birth prematurely after being injured. Seven horses were also killed at a suburban equestrian club.

Meanwhile, Moscow continued its push in eastern Ukraine, capturing another village in Dnipropetrovsk, maintaining control over roughly 20 percent of the country. Tens of thousands have died and millions displaced in Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.