It was Russia's first and largest attack on Kiev since the start of the war, with 598 drones and 31 missiles being fired.
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At least 17 people were killed and 48 injured in a major airstrike by Russia in the center of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on Thursday morning.
The diplomatic office of the European Union was also damaged in the attack. According to Ukrainian officials, this is Russia's first major attack on Kiev in the three-year war. According to the Air Force of Ukraine, 598 drones and 31 different types of missiles were used in the attack.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia has claimed that the attack is targeting the military airport and military industrial zone of Ukraine. The Kremlin has said it is interested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday's airstrikes. Ukraine says the Russian attack targeted civilians and killed many civilians. It is reported that 33 locations in all 10 districts of Kyiv were damaged due to direct attacks. Timur Tkachenko, the head of the Kyiv city administration, said that 4 children aged between 2 and 17 years were killed in the attack.
The number of dead and injured is expected to increase. Around 100 buildings including a shopping mall in the city were damaged in the attack. Local Oleksandr Khilko said that the building where his sister lived was hit by a missile and three people were rescued. "Attack on common people is very inhumane, I want this war to end soon," he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is criticizing Russia for continuing its attacks instead of negotiations. "Russia has chosen ballistics instead of the negotiating table," Zelensky wrote in "X" after the Kiev attack. But instead of taking a principled stand, they often remain silent.' Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine is ready for a peace agreement without any conditions, and demanded that the US impose strict sanctions on Russia in order to force Russia to come to the negotiating table and weaken its economy.
The response of the European Union and the UK
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that there were two attacks at a distance of 50 meters from the Ukraine Mission building of the European Union, 20 seconds apart. Ursula also said that her employees were safe from the attack. Kaza Kalas, the top diplomat of the European Union, said in a post on "X" on Thursday, "Diplomatic missions should never be the target of attacks." We are calling the Russian ambassador in Brussels.
The British Council, an organization that promotes cultural relations and educational opportunities in the UK, also said that its office in Kiev was damaged in the attack and that the office was closed for visitors until further notice. The council said that the windows and entrance of the office building were damaged and a security guard was injured in the attack.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of "smashing" hopes for peace with "senseless" attacks. While the peace efforts under the leadership of US President Donald Trump are not gaining momentum, Russia is continuing to bombard Ukraine with drones and missiles.
World leaders have expressed their concern after a major attack in the capital of Ukraine, while efforts are being made to negotiate peace between Ukraine and Russia. US President Donald Trump recently met with Putin to discuss the end of the war. It is said that the latest attack has increased the complexity of the Ukraine-Russia war and made the peace talks more complicated.
