Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, came under a massive Russian drone and missile assault early Saturday, killing at least three people, including a one-year-old child, according to Ukrainian officials. Eighteen people were also injured in the attack, which caused fires and significant damage to buildings across the city.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko initially reported two deaths, but the number was later updated. The attack began with drones and was followed by missile strikes, causing fires on top of an administrative building in the Pecherskyi district and residential high-rises in other parts of the city. For the first time, a government building was hit in the city center.
International Condemnation
The strike has been widely condemned by the international community. European leaders, including the EU foreign policy chief, have summoned Russian envoys in protest, calling the attack a deliberate escalation. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated, “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned,” and called for stronger sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
The assault comes amid a period of stalled peace talks and serves as a brutal reminder of the ongoing conflict’s human cost. According to Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, Russia is “deliberately and consciously striking civilian targets,” a charge that Moscow has not yet commented on.