Russia unleashed its largest aerial assault of the war on Ukraine early Sunday, firing more than 800 drones and 13 missiles that left at least two people dead and ignited the roof of the Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv.
Thick smoke billowed over the capital as firefighters battled flames on the government complex — the first such strike on the seat of Ukraine’s administration since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began three and a half years ago. Helicopters were seen dousing the roof with water while police sealed off the area.
“The roof and upper floors were damaged due to an enemy attack. Rescuers are extinguishing the fire,” Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram. “We will restore the buildings. But we cannot bring back lost lives. The enemy terrorises and kills our people every day.”
Among the victims was a mother and her two-month-old son, killed when a drone slammed into a nine-story residential block in western Kyiv. More than a dozen others were injured, according to police. Emergency services released photos of the charred building façade engulfed in flames.
The unprecedented barrage came days after France, Britain, and other European countries pledged to send “reassurance” forces to Ukraine to enforce any eventual peace deal — a move Russia has branded unacceptable. President Vladimir Putin warned that any Western troops on Ukrainian soil would be considered “legitimate” targets.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s recent mediation efforts, negotiations have stalled as Russia continues to demand sweeping concessions while holding roughly 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory.
The war, Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and left swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine in ruins.
