Dozens of missiles, over 500 drones hit centre of Kyiv; 17 killed in strikes

Kyiv: 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 US-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.

Two of Ukraine’s top envoys were set to meet Friday with the Trump administration regarding mediation.

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 2 and 17, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. The numbers are expected to rise.

The attack was one of the few times Russian drones and missiles have penetrated the heart of Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion.

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

targets in Kyiv.

At least 33 locations across all 10 of the city’s districts were directly hit or damaged by debris, Tkachenko said. Thousands of windows shattered as nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city centre.

Oleksandr Khilko arrived at the scene after a missile hit the residential building where his sister lives in the capital’s Darnytsia district. He heard screams from people who were trapped under the rubble and pulled out three survivors, including a boy.

“It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” Khilko said, his clothes covered in dust and the tips of his fingers black with soot. “With every cell of my body I want this war to end as soon as possible. I wait, but every time the air raid alarm sounds, I am afraid.”

EU and UK summon Russian envoys

European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said two strikes landed 20 seconds apart about 50 metres from the EU Mission to

Ukraine building in Kyiv. She said no staff were injured in the strike.

“No diplomatic mission should ever be a target. In response, we are summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said Thursday in a post on X.

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.