Kyiv: At least 12 people, including three children, were killed and 48 others injured when Russia launched one of its largest air assaults of the war on Ukraine’s capital early Thursday, local officials confirmed.
The rare strike on central Kyiv marked the first major combined missile and drone attack in weeks, as diplomatic efforts to end the three-year conflict remain stalled. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 598 drones and decoys alongside 31 missiles of varying types. Ukrainian defenses intercepted 563 drones and 26 missiles, but at least 20 locations across seven districts of Kyiv were hit.
A five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district suffered a direct hit, leaving residents trapped under rubble. Emergency crews pulled bodies and survivors from the wreckage as smoke and flames engulfed the area. “It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” said Oleksandr Khilko, who rescued three people, including a child, from the debris.
Nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center. Thousands of windows were shattered, leaving residents to sweep broken glass and salvage belongings.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, accusing Moscow of choosing “ballistics instead of the negotiating table.” He called on global leaders to take stronger positions, warning that silence in the face of Russian escalation enables further atrocities.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, claimed it intercepted 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, reporting fires at oil refineries in Krasnodar and Samara. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, causing fuel shortages and price hikes in parts of Russia.
The assault comes just weeks after US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss a potential peace roadmap. While initial talks hinted at momentum, Western officials now accuse Putin of stalling negotiations while expanding territorial gains.
Zelenskyy urged Washington to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow, insisting “all deadlines have been broken, and dozens of opportunities for diplomacy wasted.” Trump, frustrated with the lack of progress, has said he will reassess US steps if direct peace talks are not scheduled within two weeks.
