KYIV: A massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, including a rare strike in the city center, killed at least eight people and injured 45 early Thursday, local authorities reported. Rescue teams worked to free those trapped under the rubble, and casualties are expected to rise.
Among the dead were two children, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said, citing preliminary information. The assault marked Kyiv’s first major combined Russian attack in weeks, amid stalled US-led peace efforts to end the three-year conflict.
“Russia chooses ballistics over the negotiating table,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X following the attack. “We expect a response from all those who call for peace but increasingly remain silent instead of taking principled action.”
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s city administration, said Russia deployed decoy drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, hitting at least 20 sites across seven districts. Nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center, and thousands of windows were shattered.
Central Kyiv was directly struck, a rare occurrence since the full-scale invasion began. Residents cleared shattered glass and debris, while smoke rose from a collapsed five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze amid the acrid smell of burning materials.
Emergency responders searched for survivors and recovered bodies, while crowds of residents anxiously awaited news about relatives trapped in the rubble. One man remained at the site hoping for information about his wife and son. Bodies were placed in black bags alongside the damaged building.
Residents noted their district had been targeted before. Oleksandr Khilko arrived after a missile hit his sister’s building. Hearing screams from people trapped beneath debris, he rescued three survivors, including a young boy. “It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” he said, covered in dust and soot. “Every time the air raid alarm sounds, I am afraid. I want this war to end as soon as possible.”
Ukraine’s national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported infrastructure damage in the Vinnytsia and Kyiv regions, causing delays and forcing trains to use alternative routes.
Thursday’s assault was Kyiv’s first major combined drone and missile strike since US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war. While diplomatic momentum briefly rose afterward, details on next steps remain scarce.
Western leaders have accused Putin of avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops continue advancing deeper into Ukraine. Ukrainian military officials confirmed that Russian forces have now broken into an eighth region in their campaign for more territory.
Following the attack, Zelenskyy renewed calls for harsher US sanctions to weaken Russia’s economy if Putin fails to engage seriously in peace efforts. “All deadlines have been broken, dozens of diplomatic opportunities wasted,” he said.
Trump also criticized Putin this week for stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy. He said he expects to decide on next steps within two weeks if no direct talks are scheduled.
