Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill 21, Hurt Peace Efforts

At least 21 people, including three children, were killed after Russia launched one of its largest missile and drone attacks on Kyiv in recent months, further dimming hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

According to Ukrainian emergency services, the large-scale overnight assault on Thursday heavily damaged residential areas and civilian infrastructure across the capital.

Residents in Kyiv were forced to take shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens sounded across the city for hours amid powerful explosions and flashes in the sky.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 675 attack drones and 56 missiles during the assault, most of them targeting Kyiv. Ukrainian air defence systems reportedly intercepted 652 drones and 41 missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 20 sites in the capital were damaged, including residential buildings, a school, a veterinary clinic and other civilian facilities.

“Rescue operations are continuing at the site where a residential building was completely destroyed from the first to the ninth floor,” Zelensky said in an evening address.

Police said seven bodies were recovered from the rubble of a single collapsed apartment building, including three men, three women and a young girl.

At least 45 others were injured in the strikes.

Wider Attacks Across Ukraine

Russian attacks also caused casualties in the southern regions of Odesa and Kherson, as well as in the eastern Kharkiv region.

Zelensky condemned the assault, saying the attacks demonstrated that Moscow was not serious about ending the conflict.

“These are not the actions of those seeking peace,” he said, urging Ukraine’s international allies not to remain silent.

Ukraine said its air defence systems intercepted 94 percent of the drones and 73 percent of the missiles launched during the attack, though officials admitted ballistic missiles continue to pose a major challenge.

Several Western allies, including the United Kingdom, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, the Netherlands, Moldova and Slovakia, strongly condemned the strikes.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Russia’s attacks on civilians reflected “weakness rather than strength”, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Moscow of undermining international peace efforts.

Russia said the strikes targeted military-related facilities and energy infrastructure supporting the Ukrainian armed forces.

Peace Efforts Under Strain

The latest bombardment comes amid renewed but fragile diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.

The war has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, killing hundreds of thousands of people and displacing millions.

Last week, US President Donald Trump brokered a brief three-day ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv, raising hopes for possible negotiations.

However, both sides accused each other of violating the truce, and hostilities resumed shortly afterwards.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched more than 1,500 drones over Wednesday and Thursday alone.

The Kremlin has also dismissed suggestions that recent remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war “heading towards an end” signalled any change in Moscow’s position.

Russian officials reiterated this week that Ukraine must fully withdraw from the eastern Donbas region before any ceasefire or peace negotiations can proceed, a demand Kyiv has firmly rejected.

Ukraine has meanwhile urged Washington to raise the issue during meetings between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said the latest attacks showed Russia remained a threat to global security.

He also accused Russia of targeting a United Nations vehicle in Kherson on Thursday, though no casualties were reported.