Russia Launches Largest Airstrike of War, Hits Ukrainian Cabinet Building, Kills Four
Russia unleashed its biggest-ever aerial assault on Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday, leaving at least four people dead and sparking massive fires in the heart of Kyiv.
The unprecedented barrage targeted key sites in the capital, including the Cabinet of Ministers complex, marking the first time the seat of Ukraine’s government has been struck since the war began more than three and a half years ago.
Ukrainian officials said dozens of missiles and drones were fired in waves that overwhelmed air defences. While most projectiles were intercepted, several broke through, causing heavy damage and igniting government offices in the city center. Witnesses reported plumes of smoke billowing from the roof of the cabinet building as firefighters battled the blaze for hours.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, warning it would only deepen the conflict and harden Ukraine’s resolve.
“This escalation by Russia is not a show of strength but of desperation. It will not bring them victory, only greater isolation,” Zelensky said in a late-night address.
The assault comes amid heightened tensions following an August 15 meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which ended without progress on a ceasefire. Since then, Moscow has intensified strikes across Ukraine.
President Trump, responding to reporters after Sunday’s bombardment, suggested he might consider imposing tougher sanctions on Russia. Washington has already provided billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Kyiv, but U.S. support has faced political debate at home.
Military analysts say the strike on the cabinet complex is symbolic as well as strategic, signaling Moscow’s intent to break Ukraine’s morale by targeting its central institutions of governance.
Despite the destruction, Ukrainian officials vowed that government operations would continue without interruption.
With the death toll rising and Kyiv vowing retaliation, Sunday’s assault underscores that hopes for a truce remain distant, as the war drags into its fourth year with no end in sight.
