A devastating aerial assault on Kyiv has left at least 28 dead, including three children, as Russian forces unleashed a barrage of drones and missiles in the early hours of Thursday. The attack, one of the largest in recent months, also injured 159 people and caused the collapse of a residential building, trapping victims beneath the rubble.
Despite recent diplomatic pressure for a truce, Moscow’s offensive shows no signs of relenting. Ukrainian officials reported that air defenses intercepted many of the 309 drones and eight cruise missiles launched overnight, but multiple strikes still struck civilian areas. The capital’s Sviatoshynskyi and Solomyansky districts suffered the worst damage, with a children’s hospital, a school, and a kindergarten among the affected sites.
The assault comes amid heightened tensions over stalled ceasefire negotiations. Recent warnings of intensified sanctions against Russia have so far failed to alter its military strategy. Meanwhile, conflicting reports emerged over the status of Chasiv Yar, a strategic town in eastern Ukraine, with Kyiv denying Russian claims of its capture despite ongoing heavy fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, calling it further proof that peace cannot be achieved without military strength. Rescue operations continue in Kyiv as authorities search for survivors beneath the wreckage.
On the diplomatic front, discussions remain deadlocked, with no clear path toward de-escalation. Analysts warn that without a significant shift in the conflict’s dynamics, further civilian casualties and territorial battles are inevitable.
