Russian strikes kill at least 21 in Kyiv in 2nd largest attack since full-scale invasion
A “massive” Russian attack on Kyiv early Thursday killed at least 21 people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian authorities said. The British Council building was damaged and two missiles struck near the EU mission. “This is another grim reminder of what is at stake. It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorize Ukraine," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Issued on: 28/08/2025 -
By:
FRANCE 24
Video by:
Emerald MAXWELL/
Emmanuelle CHAZE
07:23
Russia pounded Ukraine with deadly missiles and drone strikes early on Thursday in a sweeping attack that the US special envoy on Ukraine said undermined President Donald Trump’s peace efforts.
At least 21 people were killed in the capital, city officials said.
Trump “was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, given that the two countries have been at war 3-1/2 years.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the strike, the second-largest attack since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, was Moscow’s answer to diplomatic efforts to end its war.
US special envoy Keith Kellogg commented on X: “The targets? Not soldiers and weapons but residential areas in Kyiv—blasting civilian trains, the EU & British mission council offices, and innocent civilians.”
The European Union and Britain summoned Russian envoys to protest. There were no reports of casualties at either site. Zelensky said the strikes also damaged a Turkish enterprise and the Azerbaijan embassy.
Read moreHow Russia is building airports to launch Iranian drones at Ukraine
Leavitt told a regular briefing that Trump would have more to say about the strikes later.
“Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves,” she said. “The president wants it to end but the leaders of these two countries need it to end and want it to end.”
The strikes took place less than two weeks after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska, a meeting the US president hoped would advance his peace efforts.
“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Zelensky said on X, calling for new sanctions on Russia. “It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war.”
Russia said its attack had hit military industrial facilities and air bases, and that Ukraine had attacked Russian targets. The Kremlin said it was still interested in pursuing peace talks.
Moscow has regularly denied targeting civilians. Ukrainian officials say scores of civilians have died in Russian strikes on densely populated areas in recent months, and thousands since the start of the war.
During the attack on Kyiv, explosions rang out as clouds of smoke rose into the night sky. Drones whirred overhead.
02:07
Across the country, Ukraine’s military said Russian attacks struck 13 locations. National grid operator Ukrenergo said energy facilities were hit, causing power cuts.
A push by Ukraine and its allies to end the invasion has yielded little, despite Trump’s meetings this month with Putin then Zelensky.
Russia has stepped up air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far behind the front lines and pushed a grinding offensive across much of the east in an effort to pressure Ukraine into giving up territory.
‘Another grim reminder’
“This is another grim reminder of what is at stake. It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorize Ukraine, blindly killing civilians and even targeting the European Union,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
She said two missiles had struck near the EU office within 20 seconds of each other.
EU countries would soon come up with a 19th package of sanctions against Russia and were advancing work on how to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, she added.
“We discussed our diplomatic efforts to stop the killings, to end this unprovoked Russian aggression, and to guarantee real security for our people,” Zelensky wrote on X after talks with von der Leyen.
Zelensky also said that he had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan and they would be set out on paper next week.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the assault, which he said had damaged the British Council building. “Putin is killing children and civilians and sabotaging hopes of peace,” he wrote on X.
Ukraine’s military said air defences downed 563 of nearly 600 drones and 26 of 31 missiles launched by Russia across the country.
Russia’s defence ministry said Russian air defences destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight in at least seven regions.
Ukraine’s drone force said it had struck the Afipsky and Kuybyshevskyi oil refineries as part of that attack.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
EU summons Russian envoy after mission damaged in Kyiv strike
Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – The EU summoned Moscow's envoy in Brussels on Thursday after a massive attack on Kyiv killed at least 14 people and damaged the bloc's diplomatic mission in the city.
Issued on: 28/08/2025 - RFI
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen addressed the press in Brussels following the strike, calling it proof "the Kremlin will stop at nothing" and vowing to uphold "maximum pressure" on Russia.
The overnight drone and missile strike "was an attack also on our delegation", the European Commission president said.
"It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians, men, women and children, and even targeting the European Union," she told reporters.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on X that the bloc was "summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels," warning: "No diplomatic mission should ever be a target."
Von der Leyen said she had spoken with the EU's deputy ambassador on site, and was "relieved that none of our staff were harmed."
But she said the attack struck in "close proximity" to the bloc's diplomatic mission, two missiles hitting within 50 metres of the delegation in the space of 20 seconds.
Grim reminder
EU officials shared a picture of the inside of an office with the windows blown out, ceiling partially hanging down and debris scattered on the floor, as well as an aerial view showing an obliterated building in the vicinity.
Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters the EU delegation was still "fully operational" and that "our staff will remain present in the country".
But von der Leyen said the damage was "another grim reminder" of the need to keep "maximum pressure on Russia".
"That means tightening our sanctions regime" with a 19th package of measures against Moscow, and "advancing" work on how best to exploit hundreds of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, she said.
EU countries are currently using interest earned from the assets to help arm Ukraine and finance its post-war reconstruction, a windfall worth between €2.5 billion and €3 billion a year.
Von der Leyen also announced she would be travelling from Friday to seven countries on the EU's eastern flank "that are strengthening and protecting our external borders, with Russia and Belarus."
EU delegation office in Kyiv severely damaged by shock wave of Russian strike
"The EU will not be intimidated," António Costa said in response to the latest Russian attack against Kyiv, which damaged the EU delegation.
The shock wave unleashed by Russia's latest strike against Kyiv has "severely" damaged the delegation of the European Union in the Ukrainian capital, the bloc's ambassador Katarina Mathernova announced on Thursday morning.
The overnight attack of 629 missiles and drones, part of Moscow's campaign of sowing terror and chaos, has killed at least 17 people, including four children, and injured dozens, causing major destruction across the city.
"This is Moscow's true answer to peace efforts," Mathernova said.
Speaking from Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen said she was "outraged" by the assault and confirmed no member of the delegation had been harmed.
Von der Leyen explained that two Russian missiles had hit within 50 metres of the diplomatic building in the span of 20 seconds.
"This is another grim reminder of what is at stake," the president of the European Commission said in a short statement delivered to camera.
"It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians – men, women and children and even targeting the European Union."
António Costa, the president of the European Council, said he was "horrified" by the strike and expressed support for the Ukrainian people and the EU staff.
"The EU will not be intimidated. Russia's aggression only strengthens our resolve to stand with Ukraine and its people," Costa said.
EU leaders, including France's Emmanuel Macron, Spain's Pedro Sánchez, Portugal's Luís Montenegro and Lithuania's Gitanas Nausėda, also condemned the barrage.
The Vienna Convention of 1961 foresees protection for diplomatic and consular premises against intrusion or damage, although it is not uncommon for these buildings to be impacted during wartime. The Kremlin has shown a consistent disinterest in upholding international rules throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
High Representative Kaja Kallas said the assault was a "choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts", referring to the mission led by US President Donald Trump and backed by European allies. The talks are currently focused on designing security guarantees for Ukraine and securing a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the latter appears keen to avoid.
In his reaction, Zelenskyy called on the international community to ramp up pressure on Russia to engage in serious negotiations.
"Russia still does not fear the consequences. Russia still takes advantage of the fact that at least part of the world turns a blind eye to murdered children and seeks excuses for Putin," Zelenskyy said.
"It is definitely time for new, tough sanctions against Russia for everything it is doing. All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined. Russia must feel accountable for every strike, for every day of this war."
Von der Leyen promised to tighten the screws on the Russian war machine with a 19th package of EU sanctions that should be presented "soon". In parallel, she said, the bloc will work on new ways to further mobilise Russia's frozen assets, worth about €210 billion on EU soil, to finance Ukraine's defence capabilities and reconstruction.
The Commission chief will begin on Friday an official trip to the member states bordering Russia and Belarus. "I want to express the EU's full solidarity with them and share the progress we are making in building a strong European defence industry," she said.
Von der Leyen later held separate phone calls with Zelenskyy and Trump.
This article has been updated with more information.
Copyright European Union, 2025.
By Jorge Liboreiro
Published on 28/08/2025 -
"No diplomatic mission should ever be a target," High Representative Kaja Kallas said in reaction to Russia's latest barrage of drones and missiles.
The European Union has formally summoned the Russian envoy in Brussels in response to the Russian strike that severely damaged the bloc's delegation in Kyiv.
"No diplomatic mission should ever be a target," High Representative Kaja Kallas said on Thursday as she announced her decision.
The Kremlin's chargé d'affaires to the EU is Karen Malayan. The meeting with Kallas is expected to take place later on Thursday.
The overnight attack of 629 missiles and drones, part of Moscow's campaign of sowing terror and chaos, has killed at least 17 people, including four children, and left dozens injured, causing major destruction across the city.
"While the world seeks a path to peace, Russia responds with missiles," Kallas said.
"The overnight attack on Kyiv shows a deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts. Russia must stop the killing and negotiate."
Two Russian missiles hit within 50 metres of the EU offices in the span of 20 seconds. The delegation, however, remains "fully operational" and "open", a spokesperson said.
The British Council in Kyiv was also damaged during the barrage, prompting the UK government to summon the Russian ambassador to the country.
The Vienna Convention of 1961 foresees protection for diplomatic and consular premises against intrusion or damage, although it is not uncommon for these buildings to be impacted during wartime. The Kremlin has shown a consistent disinterest in upholding international rules throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Separately on Thursday, Ursula von der Leyen said she was "outraged" by the barrage and confirmed no member of the delegation had been harmed.
"This is another grim reminder of what is at stake," the president of the European Commission said in a short statement delivered to camera.
"It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians – men, women and children and even targeting the European Union."
Von der Leyen promised to tighten the screws on the Russian war machine with a 19th package of EU sanctions to be presented "soon".
In parallel, she said, the bloc will work to further mobilise the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank, worth an estimated €210 billion on EU soil, to finance Ukraine's defence capabilities and reconstruction.
Asked if the Commission was considering confiscation, a radical step the bloc has refrained from taking due to international law constraints, a spokesperson confirmed the work would remain focused on the windfall profits, rather than the money itself.
Von der Leyen later held separate phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump to discuss the latest wave of strikes.
This article has been updated with more information.
Debunking Trump's account of Russia's
failed bid to seize Kyiv
Copyright Emilio Morenatti/Copyright 2019 The AP. All rights reserved
Published on 28/08/2025 -
The US President says Russian troops would have captured the Ukrainian capital in hours in February 2022 had troops not got 'stuck in the mud'. War analysts tell a different story.
US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim that Russian troops failed to seize Kyiv during the first weeks of their 2022 invasion because of a decision to cross muddy farmland in a bid to reach the Ukrainian capital.
“They [the Russians] would have been in Kyiv in four hours, going down the highway. But a Russian general made a brilliant decision to go through the farmland instead," Trump said earlier this month.
"And they just had torrential rains, and the rains were so bad and there was mud, and those tanks got stuck in the mud. I don't know who that general is but, knowing Vladimir [Putin], he's probably not around any longer."
Trump made a similar claim in May, saying Putin's forces would have taken Kyiv in "five hours" if they "hadn't got stuck in the mud".
It's one of a raft of misleading or uncorroborated claims that Trump has made about the war in Ukraine since he was inaugurated for a second term to the US presidency in Januar
We fact-checked his claims by analysing expert accounts of what happened during the first days of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Our analysis found that Russia's attempts to seize Kyiv were thwarted by a combination of Ukraine's military strategy and logistical and tactical errors on the Russian side.
The mud in the valley of the Irpin River west of Kyiv did obstruct the movement of tanks, but alone would not have thwarted the Russian offensive.
Russian troops used highways to advance towards Kyiv
Expert accounts show that Russian tanks did use highways to advance towards the Ukrainian capital during the first days of the invasion.
According to an analysis by experts at the Modern War Institute, Russia's forces coming from the border with Belarus covered "150km of open road to reach Kyiv's outskirts" during the first phase of the battle.
They add that "many of the Russians had old maps and poor communications between different parts of their convoys" and that "Ukrainians also removed or painted over as many road signs as they could" to confuse the invading tanks.
Their analysis does also specify that the Irpin river to the west of Kyiv did present a "significant obstacle to vehicular movement", but that the eastern side of the capital lacks such natural obstacles.
A map shows the approximate start and end points of a 40-mile long Russian military convoy en route to Kyiv, March 1, 2022. Phil Holm/AP
Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies to AP, and analysed by EuroVerify, also clearly shows convoys of Russian tanks advancing on highways towards Kyiv in early March 2022 as Russian troops attempted to encircle the capital.
Moscow failed to gain 'air supremacy'
Russia's failure to capture Kyiv was also largely due to what happened in the air.
Despite being outnumbered in terms of fighter aircraft, Ukrainian forces successfully thwarted Russia's attempt to gain control of Hostomel Airport — a former Soviet air base some 10km north of Kyiv — from the air.
Russian troops could only seize control of the airport once reinforcements came from the Belarusian border. Ukraine had restored full control of the airport by April.
Experts say rapidly seizing the airport had been a critical part of Russia's plan to capture Kyiv.
"Had Russia seized the airfield at Hostomel Airport more quickly (...) it is very likely that Russian forces would have made it into the heart of Kyiv in the opening days of the war," the Modern War Institute explains.
"The Russians had expected to gain air supremacy, but at best they were only able to gain air superiority."
Muddy conditions only partly obstructed Russian advance
There are some grounds to Trump's claims: muddy conditions during Russia's advance towards Kyiv did complicate the attack.
The invasion came during the early spring season, when a phenomenon known as "rasputitsa" in Russia and "bezdorizhzhya" in Ukraine sees melting snow and thawing ice leave roads swamped in mud.
There is credible evidence that invading troops that took off-road routes did get stuck in the mud, partly thwarting some military advances.
Some Ukrainian media reported that Russia abandoned many tanks that had sunk into the mud, which were later recovered by Ukrainian farmers and repurposed for the Ukrainian armed forces.
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