Russia aerial barrage kills civilians and ignites Kyiv’s government seat in record-breaking strikes that escalate the war
Russia aerial barrage unleashed unprecedented destruction on Ukraine early Sunday, killing at least six people and igniting the roof of Kyiv’s cabinet of ministers in the most extensive attack of the war so far.
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The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched 810 drones and 13 missiles in a single night, marking a grim new record.
Flames and smoke rose over central Kyiv as emergency crews battled to contain fires at the sprawling government complex. Helicopters were seen dropping water onto the burning roof.
The strike killed a mother and her two-month-old baby in a residential building in western Kyiv. Across the country, four more people died in the east and southeast.
Among the wounded was a pregnant woman who delivered a premature baby shortly after the blast, with doctors fighting for both their lives.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko condemned the attack, vowing to rebuild while mourning lives lost. “We will restore the buildings. But we cannot bring back lost lives,” she said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of deliberately prolonging the war. “Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun, are a deliberate crime,” he wrote.
European leaders reacted swiftly. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called the assault “mocking diplomacy,” while Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned Moscow’s escalation.
Russia claimed it had targeted Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex and transport infrastructure” but did not acknowledge hitting government buildings.
Despite mounting casualties, Moscow shows no sign of relenting. On the eastern front, Russian forces captured another village in the Dnipropetrovsk region, adding to the nearly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory they already control.
Also read: Ukrainian drone strikes kill 3 in Russia amid escalation
The conflict, now in its fourth year, has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions—Europe’s bloodiest war since World War II.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
