Russia unleashed its biggest air strike of the war, firing 805 drones and 13 missiles overnight, setting ablaze Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv for the first time and killing at least four, including an infant.
10 Key Developments
- Historic Strike: Ukrainian PM Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed Kyiv’s main government building was hit — the first such strike since the war began — calling it a “symbolic blow” to the city’s most secure area.
- Scale of Attack: Ukraine’s air force said 751 drones and four missiles were intercepted, but several penetrated defences, marking Russia’s largest drone assault since February 2022.
- Casualties: Four killed, including an infant and a young woman; over 20 people were injured, Ukraine’s interior ministry reported.
- Damage in Kyiv: Fires engulfed the top floor of the government HQ in Pecherskyi district; a four-storey apartment building in Darnytskyi district was also destroyed.
- Nationwide Impact: Strikes also hit Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Sumy, and Chernihiv, causing blackouts and damage to bridges over the Dnipro River.
- Ukraine Strikes Back: Ukraine claimed it hit Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline in Bryansk, causing “comprehensive fire damage.”
- Moscow’s Statement: Russia’s defence ministry said the attacks targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial and transport infrastructure, denying civilian targeting.
- Global Reactions: Polish PM Donald Tusk condemned appeasement of Russia, calling for a stronger international response.
- Trump’s Response: US President Donald Trump called the strike a “horrible waste of humanity” and hinted at moving to a second phase of sanctions against Russia or its oil buyers.
- Zelensky’s Appeal: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged allies to bolster air defences, saying continued strikes were a “deliberate prolongation of the war.”
