KYIV, UKRAINE – In a dramatic escalation of its war on Ukraine, Russia has for the first time struck the main government building in Kyiv, a symbolic and strategic act that has brought the conflict to the very heart of the capital. The attack, part of a record-breaking overnight aerial assault, damaged the roof and upper floors of the Cabinet of Ministers building and sent a clear, chilling message to Ukraine’s leadership.
The assault, which unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning, was Russia’s largest since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched more than 800 drones and 13 missiles, with smoke seen rising over the Maidan Square as emergency services rushed to the scene. While the extent of the damage to the historic building is still being assessed, the attack marks a significant shift in Russia’s targeting strategy, which had largely avoided Kyiv’s core government infrastructure.
“For the first time, the government building was damaged by an enemy attack, including the roof and upper floors,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram. “We will restore the buildings, but lost lives cannot be returned.”
The strike on a building that houses the offices of Ukraine’s top ministers is an unmistakable signal from the Kremlin that no target is off-limits. It comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as diplomatic efforts to end the war have lost momentum. While President Donald Trump has been trying to broker a peace deal, the attack demonstrates that Russia is intent on pressing its military advantage on the battlefield.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that the attack had also killed at least two people, including a young woman and an infant, and injured more than a dozen others as drone debris struck residential buildings in the city’s west and east. A spokesperson for the head of Kyiv’s military administration stated that Russia was “deliberately and consciously striking civilian targets.”
The brazen assault has prompted renewed international outrage. Ukrainian officials have called for stronger sanctions against Russian oil and gas and a renewed push for more air defense systems. The attack serves as a stark reminder that despite years of fighting, the war is far from a stalemate, and a peaceful resolution remains a distant hope.