Russia launched its largest air strike of the war, firing 805 drones and 13 missiles overnight in a massive assault that shattered hopes for ceasefire progress. Ukrainian officials confirmed at least four people were killed, including an infant, while more than 20 others were injured in the capital.
For the first time since the war began, Kyiv’s main government building was set ablaze, with flames and smoke engulfing the top floors in the city’s Pecherskyi district.
Zelenskyy: “A Deliberate Crime”
It is important that today we saw a broad response from our partners to this strike. Clearly, Russia is trying to inflict pain on Ukraine with even more brazen attacks. This is a clear sign that Putin is testing the world – whether they will accept or tolerate this. pic.twitter.com/X2vGTgnDTX
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 7, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strike as intentional escalation.
“Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the attack as “a symbolic blow to one of the city’s most heavily defended areas,” stressing that it was the first time Kyiv’s main government building had been directly hit during the war.
What We Know About the Strike
- Russia launched 805 drones and 13 missiles; Ukraine’s air force intercepted 751 drones and four missiles.
- This marks Russia’s largest drone assault since its invasion in February 2022.
- Rescuers recovered an infant’s body from a destroyed apartment block in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, where a young woman was also killed.
- The interior ministry confirmed over 20 injuries in the capital as air alerts lasted more than 11 hours.
- Dozens of explosions hit Kremenchuk, cutting power and damaging a Dnipro River bridge, according to Mayor Vitalii Maletskyi.
International Reactions
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the attack, writing on X:
“The continued delaying of a strong reaction against Putin and the attempts to appease him made no sense.”
Russia’s defence ministry, quoted by TASS, claimed its targets were Ukraine’s military-industrial sites and transport infrastructure. Both Moscow and Kyiv denied striking civilians.
Ukraine’s military said it retaliated by hitting the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, causing “comprehensive fire damage.”
Trump Signals New Sanctions
US President Donald Trump described the assault as “a horrible waste of humanity” but stressed optimism about finding a resolution.
“I’m not happy. I’m not happy about the whole situation… but I believe we’re going to get it settled,” he told reporters.
Trump also revealed he is ready to move to a “second phase of sanctions” against Russia — his strongest signal yet that tougher measures could target Moscow or its oil buyers.
