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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned a "ruthless attack" on Sunday after Russian forces struck Kyiv's cabinet of ministers building for the first time since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The strike was part of Russia's largest aerial assault of the war, involving more than 800 drones and missiles overnight, according to Ukraine's air force. The unprecedented barrage damaged 37 locations across the country, with wreckage falling in at least eight areas.
In Kyiv, a fire engulfed the upper floors and roof of the government complex, which houses the offices of Ukraine's top ministers. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed no government staff were injured but shared images of the gutted building on Telegram, vowing that "Russian terror will not stop the government's work." She urged allies to provide stronger air defenses and impose tougher sanctions on Moscow.
The attack killed four people, including a two-month-old baby and the child's mother, after residential buildings were hit in Kyiv's Svyatoshynsky district. At least 44 others were injured across the capital and other regions. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as windows shattered and fires erupted. "At least we're alive," said Valentina, a Kyiv resident whose neighbor and her baby were killed.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested a drone may have struck the government building accidentally after being intercepted, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.
Russia's defense ministry claimed the barrage targeted Ukraine's military-industrial complex and transport networks, denying it aimed at civilians. However, Western leaders condemned the strikes. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the assault "brutal," accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of acting "with impunity," while French President Emmanuel Macron said Moscow was embracing "the logic of war and terror."
The attack came days after Putin rejected Western plans to deploy a "reassurance force" to Ukraine following any future ceasefire, warning such troops would be treated as "legitimate targets."
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. Zelensky vowed an "appropriate response", insisting the strikes were a "deliberate crime and an attempt to prolong the war," and urged world leaders to show the political will needed to stop the aggression.
