Russia hits seat of Ukraine govt in war's biggest air attack

AFP | Kyiv

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Russia fired its biggest-ever aerial barrage at Ukraine early yesterday, killing four people and setting the seat of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv ablaze in an attack President Volodymyr Zelensky warned would prolong the war.

Yesterday’s attack was the first to hit Ukraine's cabinet of ministers, a sprawling government complex at the heart of Kyiv.

An AFP reporter saw the roof of the building in flames and smoke billowing over the capital.

Drone strikes also damaged several high-rise buildings in Kyiv, according to emergency services.

Russia has shown no sign of halting its three-and-a-half-year invasion of Ukraine, pushing hardline demands for ending the war despite efforts by the United States to broker a peace deal.

Residents in Kyiv spoke of their frustration following the strikes.

"This is already routine for us, unfortunately," Olga, a 30-yearold resident of a damaged building told AFP.

The Russians first "grab the Shaheds (Iranian-designed drones), then the rockets come," she said.

An AFP reporter saw helicopters dropping buckets of water over the government building's roof, as emergency services rushed to the scene.

European condemnation

Russia, which denies targeting civilians in Ukraine, said it had struck a plant and a logistics hub in Kyiv.

Its defence ministry said "no strikes were carried out on other targets within the boundaries of Kyiv", explicitly denying responsibility for the government building strike. Police cordoned off the area surrounding the building, the roof and upper floors of which sustained damage.

"We will restore the buildings. But we cannot bring back lost lives. The enemy terrorises and kills our people every day throughout the country," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said. She later posted a video from inside the damaged floor showing shattered offices and burned walls.

Russia fired at least 810 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine between late Saturday and early Sunday, in a new record, according to the Ukrainian air force.

"Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war," Zelensky said.