Kyiv, Ukraine — For the first time in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv was struck during a wave of Russian drone and missile attacks, according to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
She confirmed that the building’s roof and upper floors were damaged, sparking a fire after the Russian strike on Kyiv.
Officials reported at least four people killed nationwide, including a baby and a young woman, after a nine-storey residential building was hit in Kyiv’s Svyatoshynsky district.
Record Drone and Missile Barrage
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched its largest assault yet, firing more than 800 drones and missiles in a single night. Nine missiles and 56 drones hit 37 targets, with debris landing in eight locations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Russian attacks also damaged infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
“These killings, at a time when true diplomacy could have already started, are deliberate crimes meant to prolong the war,” Zelensky wrote on social media, calling for stronger international action to stop Moscow’s offensive.

Russia’s Justification vs Reality
Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces struck Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and transport hubs, targeting warehouses with weapons and military supplies.
The damaged Kyiv building, known as the cabinet of ministers headquarters, houses Ukraine’s top officials.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko suggested that a drone intercepted by Ukrainian defences may have veered off course and hit the building, though details remained unclear.
This incident marks the first time a government building has been hit in central Kyiv, a heavily defended area since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Analysts see it as a symbolic attack and a sign that President Vladimir Putin is escalating rather than pursuing peace.
Human Toll in Kyiv
BBC journalists were blocked from approaching the building due to security checkpoints, but witnesses reported thick smoke rising near Independence Square and saw cruise missiles streak across the sky before another explosion.
In one Kyiv apartment block, Valentina and her husband were asleep when windows shattered around them. “At least we’re alive,” she said, mourning the death of a neighbour and her baby. The family had just moved in; the woman’s husband was badly injured and hospitalised.
Ukrainian footballer Georgiy Sudakov also revealed that his Kyiv apartment was destroyed in a Russian drone strike, sharing photos and videos online. His wife and children were inside at the time, though it remains unclear if they were injured.
Authorities reported several multi-storey residential buildings in the Svyatoshynsky and Darnytsky districts sustained heavy damage.
Wider Strikes Across Ukraine
In Zaporizhzhia, 17 people were wounded as Russian missiles hit homes, offices, and a nursery, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov. Nearby, a glide bomb killed one woman and left a man missing in Novopavlivka. Zelensky also confirmed deaths in Safonivka (Sumy region) and Chernihiv.
In Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky’s hometown, three infrastructure facilities were hit during the overnight attacks. Air raid sirens sounded across all regions.
Meanwhile, Ukraine retaliated with drone strikes on Russia, targeting multiple regions. Moscow’s defence ministry claimed 69 Ukrainian drones were intercepted. Belgorod’s governor reported three civilian deaths and damage to residential areas. Ukrainian forces also struck the Druzhba oil pipeline in Bryansk, hitting a pumping station, according to Ukrainian drone commander Robert Brovdi.
Global Reactions
Earlier this week, Putin dismissed Western proposals to deploy a “reassurance force” in Ukraine after any ceasefire, following a Paris summit on long-term security guarantees.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the Russian strikes on Kyiv, saying they show Putin “believes he can act with impunity” and is “not serious about peace.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 allied nations pledged to send security forces “by land, sea, or air” once fighting ceases, though he offered no details. Putin, however, warned that any foreign troops in Ukraine would be “legitimate targets.”
The Ongoing War
Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and Moscow still controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014.
The latest Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv highlight Moscow’s escalating strategy, further testing Ukraine’s defences and international patience.