KYIV, Ukraine — Russia has escalated its war on Ukraine with a symbolic and devastating strike on Kyiv’s main government building, the Cabinet of Ministers, marking the first time the capital’s political heart has been directly hit since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
A Symbolic Strike in the Capital
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed that the building’s roof and upper floors were damaged in the overnight assault. Firefighters battled intense flames as smoke rose over central Kyiv, near Independence Square. Officials said the restricted area, home to Ukraine’s parliament and presidential palace, remained under lockdown.
Witnesses described helicopters dropping water onto the blaze, while residents reported seeing two Russian cruise missiles streaking across the sky before detonations shook the city.
Civilian Casualties Mount
In Kyiv’s Svyatoshynsky district, a baby and a young woman were killed when a nine-story residential block was destroyed. Rescuers continued searching for more victims under the rubble. Across the capital, several apartment complexes in the western and southeastern districts were set ablaze after direct strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a “deliberate crime” and accused Russia of prolonging the war while pretending to seek peace. “Such killings now, at a time when real diplomacy could have started a long time ago, are a deliberate crime and an attempt to prolong the war,” Zelensky said.
Widespread Strikes Across Ukraine
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched nine missiles and 56 drones targeting 37 locations overnight, with wreckage from downed drones causing further fires. Officials said the scale of the bombardment marked one of the heaviest nights of attacks in months.
In Zaporizhzhia, 17 people were injured when missiles struck residential buildings and a nursery. In Novopavlivka village, a woman was killed and a man remains missing after a glide bomb hit. Additional deaths were confirmed in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
Russia also struck infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky’s hometown, while Ukrainian drones hit a pumping station on Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline in Bryansk, deepening the cycle of strikes.
Global Response and Rising Tensions
French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced that 26 allies had pledged to send troops to Ukraine “by land, sea or air” after a ceasefire, to guarantee security. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the plan and warned that any foreign forces deployed would be considered “legitimate targets.”
With Moscow controlling about 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, analysts say the attack on Kyiv’s Cabinet building is a turning point. It demonstrates that Russia is willing to strike the symbolic core of Ukraine’s government despite fortified defenses, raising fears of further escalation.
