Russia’s overnight aerial strikes on Kyiv have left at least 18 people dead and dozens injured, with missiles and drones shattering buildings and damaging the offices of the British Council and the European Union delegation. The attack, the deadliest on the Ukrainian capital since the Alaska summit between President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump, prompted the UK and EU to summon their Russian envoys.
Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, confirmed that four children were among the victims after a residential building in the eastern Darnytskyi district was struck in the middle of the night. Hours later, another person was killed in a separate explosion in the central Shevchenkivskyi district, where government and diplomatic offices were left heavily damaged.
This marks the first time British government property has been directly impacted in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s air force reported that the country was bombarded with 629 missiles and drones overnight, describing it as one of the largest attacks since the invasion began in February 2022. Residents reported waves of strikes echoing through the capital after 3 a.m. and again shortly after 5:30 a.m. Officials documented impacts across more than 20 locations in Kyiv, with 38 people wounded.
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, condemned the attack and warned that it threatened diplomatic efforts. “These egregious attacks threaten the peace that [Trump] is pursuing,” Kellogg said on social media, adding that Russia had struck “innocent civilians” along with EU and British offices in Kyiv.
UK And EU Condemn Missile Strikes
In London, the Foreign Office summoned Russia’s ambassador, Andrey Kelin, in protest. Government officials said the move came after severe damage to the British Council building.
“Putin’s strikes last night killed civilians, destroyed homes and damaged buildings, including the British Council and EU Delegation in Kyiv. We have summoned the Russian ambassador. The killing and destruction must stop.”
UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also denounced the strikes, calling them “senseless” and accusing Moscow of “sabotaging hopes of peace.”
Images shared by the British Council showed the extent of destruction, with its offices’ windows blown out and debris strewn across the site. Scott McDonald, the British Council’s chief executive, said the offices were not directly hit but struck by shrapnel. He added that an injured security guard was “shaken but stable.”
Katarína Mathernová, the EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, confirmed that the EU delegation offices were “severely damaged by the shock wave” from the blast.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the strikes by accusing Moscow of deliberately rejecting diplomacy. “These Russian missiles and attack drones today are a clear response to everyone in the world who, for weeks and months, has been calling for a ceasefire and for real diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said. “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table.”
The strikes follow weeks of relative calm in Kyiv, after Trump’s unsuccessful attempt to mediate peace in a meeting with Putin in Alaska. That effort failed to halt the fighting, and the latest bombardment has underscored the scale of Moscow’s commitment to continuing its campaign.
For residents of Kyiv, the overnight assault was one of the most devastating since the war began, leaving homes destroyed, offices in ruins, and families mourning.
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