Russia Launches Largest Air Attack On Ukraine, Government Building In Kyiv Set Ablaze

Russia carried out its biggest aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began, unleashing hundreds of drones and missiles overnight that set the main government building in Kyiv on fire and left at least four people dead, including an infant, Ukrainian officials said Sunday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reported widespread destruction across the north, south, and east of the country, naming Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Sumy, and Chernihiv among the targeted areas. He urged allies to boost Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, writing on X that “such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war.”

At daybreak, thick smoke poured from the top floor of the government building in Kyiv’s historic Pecherskyi district. Witnesses saw nearby apartment blocks damaged, forcing dozens of residents into the streets as firefighters battled flames.

The scale of the attack deepened concerns in Ukraine and among its allies that the conflict shows no signs of abating. Russian President Vladimir Putin has resisted calls for a ceasefire, bolstered by strengthening ties with China.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who met with Putin last month, has voiced frustration with Moscow but has not yet introduced tougher sanctions. On Friday, Trump said he was working on security guarantees for Ukraine that could help bring an end to the deadliest European war since World War II.

European allies have pledged continued support for Kyiv, though discussions on further military commitments, including potential troop deployments, remain ongoing. Zelenskiy said he coordinated next steps and diplomatic contacts in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed it was the first time the capital’s main government building had been struck, calling it a symbolic hit against one of the city’s most heavily defended areas. She urged partners to speed up weapons deliveries, saying, “We will rebuild the buildings. But lost lives cannot be brought back. The enemy terrorises and kills our people across the country every day.”

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 805 drones and 13 missiles during the assault, the heaviest drone barrage of the war. Air defense units destroyed 751 drones and four missiles. Russia’s defense ministry claimed it struck Ukraine’s military industry and transport systems, though both sides deny targeting civilians.

Kyiv officials reported an infant and a young woman among the dead in the Darnytskyi district after a four-story apartment building collapsed. More than 20 people were wounded across the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said several residential blocks were set ablaze by falling drone debris, and entire floors of a nine-story building were destroyed.

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s military said it struck Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline in Bryansk, inflicting “comprehensive fire damage” as part of efforts to weaken Russia’s energy sector, which funds the war. In Kremenchuk, explosions damaged a bridge across the Dnipro River and cut power for residents. Kryvyi Rih and Odesa also sustained damage to infrastructure and housing, with fires breaking out in multiple apartment buildings in Odesa.

A new meeting of Ukraine’s allies is scheduled for next week, with air defense systems and support for long-range strikes on Russia expected to dominate discussions.