Ukraine cabinet building burns in Russian mass drone attack

Russia over the weekend launched more than 800 drones and missiles into Ukraine in its largest aerial barrage since the war began. Ukrainian forces said they shot down 747 drones and four cruise missiles. Russian weapons still damaged homes, a kindergarten building, warehouses, and an apartment building in cities across the country, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At least four people died in the attack and more than 40 were injured, he said.

Meanwhile, several offices in Ukraine’s cabinet building in Kyiv caught fire during the attack, according to Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said debris from a drone shot down by Ukrainian forces appeared to have started the fire.

How have leaders responded? Zelenskyy said Russia’s resistance to beginning peace talks despite numerous attempts meant that the attack and killings amounted to a deliberate crime and intentional prolongation of the war. Western leaders from France, the United Kingdom, NATO, Poland, the European Commission, and others also condemned the strikes and reiterated their support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend said he would consider tougher sanctions against Russia after the attack, and that he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. 

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report about another Russian strike that damaged a European Union building in Kyiv.