Russia launched its largest air assault of the war on Ukraine overnight, setting the main government building ablaze in central Kyiv and killing at least four people, including an infant, Ukrainian officials confirmed on Sunday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the massive drone and missile barrage caused widespread damage across several regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Sumy, and Chernihiv. “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” Zelenskiy said in a post on X, while renewing his appeal to allies to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences.
Reuters witnesses reported thick smoke billowing from the burning top floor of the main government building in Kyiv’s historic Pecherskyi district shortly after sunrise. Emergency crews battled to control the flames as rescue workers evacuated the area.
Elsewhere in Kyiv, residential apartments were hit, leaving dozens of residents wrapped in blankets on the streets as they surveyed the damage to their homes. Firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the blazes, while medics tended to the injured.
The attack has deepened concerns that an end to the conflict remains distant, with Russian President Vladimir Putin resisting calls for a ceasefire while bolstering ties with China.
US President Donald Trump, reacting to the strike, said on Sunday that he is prepared to move into a second phase of sanctioning Russia, signalling a possible escalation in measures against Moscow and its oil buyers. He did not provide further details but stressed that discussions are ongoing.
US Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg described the attack as a dangerous escalation, warning that Moscow’s actions indicate an intention to intensify the conflict further.
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Faridah Abdulkadiri
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