Russia mounted the largest aerial assault of the war on Sunday, launching 805 drones and decoys and a number of missiles in an attack that Ukrainian officials said killed at least two people and damaged government and residential buildings in Kyiv and elsewhere.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted the bulk of the assault, shooting down or neutralizing 747 drones and four missiles. The force and local officials said Russia also fired 13 missiles of various types; Ukrainian authorities reported nine missile hits and 56 drone strikes across 37 locations around the country, with debris from downed aerial weapons falling at eight sites.
The attack left at least two dead and at least 17 wounded, Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s city administration, said. Tkachenko told reporters rescuers dug the bodies of a mother and her 3-month-old child from rubble; earlier reports had said the child was about 1 year old. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said about 10 locations in the capital were damaged.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said for the first time the Cabinet building — which houses ministers’ offices in the center of Kyiv — was damaged, including the roof and upper floors. A fire burned inside the government building after the attack, but officials said it was not yet clear whether the blaze resulted from a direct strike or falling debris. Police blocked access to the site as firefighters and ambulances responded.
"We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned," Svyrydenko said, adding that the world “must respond to this destruction not only with words, but with actions,” and urging stronger sanctions, particularly on Russian oil and gas.
Klitschko said Russian drones struck a nine-story residential building in Sviatoshynskyi district and a four-story residential building in Darnytskyi district, and city officials described people sheltering after nearby apartment blocks were damaged. Photographs released by emergency services showed firefighters at the scenes of heavily damaged residential buildings and crews removing rubble.
Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, confirmed to The Associated Press that Sunday’s assault was the largest Russian drone strike since the full-scale invasion began. Ukrainian air defenders reported that in addition to downing most of the incoming drones, they neutralized multiple missiles, limiting the scale of destruction relative to the size of the attack.
The mass barrage represented a significant intensification of Russia’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions. It was the second major combined missile-and-drone strike on Kyiv in two weeks, raising concerns among Ukrainian officials and Western partners about the growing sophistication and scale of Russia’s campaign.
Russia’s military did not immediately publish comment attributing the assault. International reactions were expected as European leaders pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, while 26 allied countries pledged to provide a “reassurance force” once the conflict ends.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Putin to negotiate a peace agreement, and has called on international leaders to adopt tougher measures, including new sanctions, to compel Moscow to halt military operations. Ukrainian officials on Sunday again urged deeper international pressure, arguing more must be done to reduce Russia’s ability to sustain large-scale strikes.
Officials said damage extended beyond Kyiv, with strikes and debris impacting multiple regions as air defenses worked to repel the waves. Rescue teams and emergency services continued operations through the night to extinguish fires, search for survivors and clear rubble from hit buildings.
Ukrainian authorities are still tallying final casualties and damage from the attack while maintaining air defenses on high alert for follow-up strikes. The assault underscored both the expanding scale of Russia’s aerial campaign and the strain on civilian infrastructure that comes with sustained bombardment, as Kyiv and international partners weigh additional measures to counter the threat.