At least four people, including a mother and her 3-month-old baby, were killed during Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, while a fire at a government building was reportedly sparked, according to the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko.
Russia launched 823 attacks over Ukraine from Saturday into Sunday; however, according to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, 751 of them were destroyed. On the other hand, nine missiles and 54 strike UAVs did hit the country. Leaving at least 44 injured.
The building houses Ukraine’s Cabinet, including the offices of its ministers, which police have blocked access to as fire engines and ambulances arrived. Russia has yet to target a government building in the city centre.
A direct Russian hit on a government building would mark an escalation in Russia’s war against Ukraine, but Klitschko said the fire was likely caused by the downing of a drone and its debris.
On Sunday, the Russian Defence Ministry said that it used “high-precision weapons” and drones to strike storage and assembly sites, military air bases in central, southern and eastern Ukraine, an industrial facility and a logistics facility on the outskirts of Kyiv.
In what could be a reference to the damaged government building, the ministry said that “all designated objects were hit” and claimed that “no strikes were carried out on other objects within the borders of Kyiv,”.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, said: “For the first time, the government building was damaged by an enemy attack, including the roof and upper floors,” adding, “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned.”
“The world must respond to this destruction not only with words, but with actions. There is a need to strengthen sanctions pressure — primarily against Russian oil and gas,” she said.
The other victim of the attack was a young woman; both were reportedly killed in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district. Rescue services working at the scene are currently searching for a third body.
Meanwhile, 17 people across the capital have been injured, seven of whom have been hospitalised.
In the districts of Darnytskyi and Sviatoshynskyi, several residential buildings were reportedly on fire, while in the latter, cars near a service station and warehouse facilities also caught fire.
Sunday’s attack is the second largest on Kyiv in the past two weeks, following Saturday’s strikes.
Russia also targeted cities close to the frontline, including Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih, using drones and missiles, leaving at least four people injured and causing damage to infrastructure, an administrative building, businesses, private residences, high-rise buildings, garages, and vehicles, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.
In Zaporizhzhia local authorities reported 17 people were injured after a Russian drone strike early on Sunday.
One local resident, Olha, said she ran to the bathroom when she first heard the explosions.
“My husband stormed in, shut the door behind him and screamed, ‘Hide!’ I go – ‘run over here to me’ and as soon as he sat down – boom, everything got blown out,” she said.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister also said in a Facebook post that the cities of Kremenchuk and Odesa were targeted in last night’s attacks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack on Ukraine in a post on X, calling out the Kremlin for “trampling international law and killing indiscriminately.” as she reiterated that Europe is, “reinforcing Ukraine’s armed forces” and calling for the “killing” to end.
On Sunday, Macron accused Russia of indiscriminate attacks, while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the strikes, calling for firm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The attack follows European leaders urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to work towards ending the war, after 26 of Ukraine’s allies pledged to deploy troops as a “reassurance force” once the fighting concludes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he is willing to meet with Putin to negotiate a peace agreement and has called on US President Donald Trump to impose strict sanctions on Russia to pressure it to end the conflict.
Meanwhile, Ukraine attacked the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, leaving the pipeline damaged, according to Russian authorities.