Russian strike on kyiv kills at least 17 damages eu diplomatic offices

Russian strike on kyiv kills at least 17 damages eu diplomatic offices

Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country, said Ukraine’s Air Force; among the dead were four children; the Kremlin said Russia remained interested in peace talks despite the latest air attack.

A major Russian air attack on Kyiv early Thursday, including a rare strike in the city centre that damaged the European Union’s diplomatic offices, killed at least 17 people and wounded 48 more, authorities said.

The bombardment of drones and missiles was the first major Russian attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.-led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggled to gain traction. It also prompted Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, to say she planned to summon Russia’s EU envoy to Brussels.

The Kremlin said Russia remained interested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday’s air attack, which was one of the war’s biggest since it began in 2022.

Among the dead were four children between two and 17, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. The numbers are expected to rise.

100 buildings damaged

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country early Thursday, most of them striking Kyiv. At least 33 locations across all 10 of the city’s districts were directly hit or damaged by debris, Mr. Tkachenko said. Thousands of windows shattered as nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city centre.

European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen said two strikes landed 20 seconds apart about 50 m from the EU Mission to Ukraine building in Kyiv. She said no staff were injured in the strike.

The British Council, which promotes cultural relations and educational opportunities, also said its Kyiv office had been “severely damaged” in the attack and was closed to visitors until further notice.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “sabotaging” hopes of peace following the “senseless” strikes. The Russian Ambassador to London was summoned to the foreign office.