Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the war overnight, striking the capital and damaging the Cabinet of Ministers for the first time. Ukrainian officials said Moscow used 810 drones, four ballistic missiles, and nine cruise missiles in the attack. Air defenses intercepted most of them, but dozens broke through.
The strike hit the government quarter directly. Flames spread across the roof and upper floors of the Cabinet building. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed the damage and praised emergency crews for containing the fire. “We will rebuild the buildings, but the lives lost cannot be brought back,” she said.
In the Sviatoshynskyi district of Kyiv, Ukraine, rescuers recovered the body of an infant from a collapsed nine-story building. A young woman also died in the blast. Fires burned in several residential towers, and explosions injured more than a dozen people. Residents described the night as the most terrifying of the war.
Escalation Across Ukraine
The assault did not stop with Kyiv, Ukraine. Strikes also hit Dnipro, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, and Kremenchuk. In Kremenchuk, a missile damaged a major bridge over the Dnipro River, cutting an important crossing between east and west. In response, Ukraine struck Russian energy sites in Bryansk and Krasnodar.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as “vile.” He urged world leaders to act decisively. “The world can stop the Kremlin’s criminals. All we need is political will,” he said.
European leaders quickly reacted. French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia had “chosen terror over diplomacy.” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised tougher sanctions and more weapons for Ukraine.
Poland raised its air defenses to the highest alert after Russian drones flew close to its border. Meanwhile, Ukraine announced an urgent meeting this week to boost air defenses and extend strike capabilities against Russia.
For civilians in Kyiv, Ukraine, the destruction felt endless. “That’s how we live, from attack to attack, from strike to strike,” one resident said.
