Major Russian air attack on Kyiv kills at least 17 people and damages European Union's diplomatic offices there
發佈日期: 2025-08-29 00:11
TVB News
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.
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 on 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.
Thousands of windows shattered as nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center.
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.
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.
Thursday's attack is the first major combined Russian mass drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv since U.S. President Donald Trump met with Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
While a diplomatic push to end the war appeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details have emerged about the next steps.
Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine.
This week, Ukrainian military leaders conceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hopes for harsher U.S. sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Putin does not demonstrate seriousness about ending the war.
He reiterated those demands following Thursday's attack.
The Kremlin said Russia remained interested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday's air attack.
