A massive Russian aerial bombardment of Kyiv early Thursday resulted in at least 21 deaths and left 86 people injured, marking one of the deadliest strikes on the Ukrainian capital since May. Emergency services reported that approximately 130 buildings were damaged as hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles targeted the city.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, who cut short a diplomatic visit to Ireland to return to the capital, visited a destroyed residential building on the city’s left bank. Visibly frustrated, Zelensky emphasized that the scale of destruction could have been mitigated had Western allies fulfilled their commitments regarding air defense systems.
“If our partners had delivered on their promises in a timely manner, I think we could have saved more homes and lives today,” Zelensky stated. “All we ask of our partners is simply to do what we’ve agreed on.”
The attack follows warnings from Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to identify new strategies for capturing Kyiv, potentially utilizing Belarusian territory. In response to the escalation, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced plans to propose further sanctions against entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts remain ongoing. President Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian defense officials have held talks with U.S. representatives, including Jared Kushner, and expressed hope for a meeting with Donald Trump during the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.