KYIV, Ukraine — Russia fired its biggest-ever aerial barrage at Ukraine early Sunday, killing four people and setting the seat of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv ablaze in an attack
Ukraine – Russia fired its biggest-ever aerial barrage at Ukraine early Sunday, killing four people and setting the seat of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv ablaze in an attack President Volodymyr Zelensky warned would prolong the war.
The Sunday attack was the first to hit Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers, a sprawling government complex at the heart of Kyiv.
An AFP reporter saw the roof of the building in flames and smoke billowing over the capital.
Drone strikes also damaged several high-rise buildings in Kyiv, according to emergency services.
Russia has shown no sign of halting its three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine, pushing hardline demands for ending the war despite efforts by the United States to broker a peace deal.
Residents in Kyiv spoke of their frustration following the strikes.
“This is already routine for us, unfortunately,” Olga, a 30-year-old resident of a damaged building told AFP.
The Russians first “grab the Shaheds (Iranian-designed drones), then the rockets come,” she said.
An AFP reporter saw helicopters dropping buckets of water over the government building’s roof, as emergency services rushed to the scene.European condemnation
Russia, which denies targeting civilians in Ukraine, said it had struck a plant and a logistics hub in Kyiv.
Its defence ministry said “no strikes were carried out on other targets within the boundaries of Kyiv”, explicitly denying responsibility for the government building strike.
