RUSSIA launched a massive overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least eight people, injuring over 70, and damaging multiple buildings in what is described as the largest assault on the Ukrainian capital this year.
Government officials disclosed this on Thursday, noting that the attack ignited fires, injured six children, and left some people trapped under the rubble.
“There has been destruction. The search is continuing for people under rubble,” the State Emergency Service wrote on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that the “brutal strikes” showed that Russia, not Ukraine, was the obstacle to peace. There was no immediate comment by Russia on the attack.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said eight people were confirmed dead in the capital, although earlier reports from officials had put the death toll at nine.
According to Klitschko, the most serious incident occurred in the Sviatoshynskyi district, west of the city centre, where rescuers continued clearing rubble from two buildings.
The ICIR reports that the attack occurred at a significant point in Russia’s war in Ukraine, which began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Both Kyiv and Moscow are currently under pressure from United States President Donald Trump to demonstrate progress toward a peace agreement.
Trump and his administration have warned that they would abandon efforts to broker a ceasefire if no progress is made, prompting European nations to search for alternative ways to support Kyiv.
A joint statement from Britain, France, and Germany revealed that Wednesday’s talks in London made “significant progress” toward reaching a “common position on the next steps” in the negotiations.
However, the talks were downgraded following a last-minute decision by United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio to cancel his attendance.
The ICIR reported on March 30, that Trump said he was furious after the Russian leader questioned the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, threatening to impose secondary tariffs of between 25 and 50 per cent on buyers of Russian oil.
In response, Russia said it was ready to work with the US in exploring ideas for striking a peace deal in Ukraine.
Trump, who said he wanted to be remembered as a peacemaker, has consistently expressed his desire to end the three-year conflict and has warned of its potential escalation into a global war.
However, Trump also seems to blame Zelenskiy for the lack of progress after Zelenskiy said he would not recognise Russia’s occupation of the Crimean peninsula as part of any peace agreement.
The ICIR reported that Zelensky said Trump understood Kyiv’s position of not recognising the occupied territory as part of Russia while also reaffirming Kyiv’s willingness to halt strikes on Russian infrastructure and accept an unconditional frontline ceasefire, as previously proposed by the US.
Putin had proposed placing Ukraine under a temporary administration to facilitate new elections and the signing of key agreements aimed at ending the war between the two nations.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of people have been killed or injured, with millions displaced and several cities and towns devastated.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.