EU, UK Diplomatic Missions Hit In Russia’s 2nd Largest Assault On Kiev Of War

At least 18 Ukrainians have been killed, with the casualty figure expected to rise, after Russian missiles and drones targeted residential neighborhoods in Kiev early Thursday, which President Volodymyr Zelensky has decried as demonstrating Moscow’s contempt for ongoing efforts to forge peace talks. However, the Kremlin has blamed stalled talks on Ukraine’s own unrelenting cross-border attacks and failure to compromise.

Photos shared by Zelensky on social media showed emergency crews and residents clearing shattered glass and debris from the streets of central Kiev. One missile directly hit an apartment building, essentially splitting it in half. The assault is widely being described as the second-largest attack on the capital since the war began.

A quiet morning in a European capital city and then a Russian missile blows up in sleeping people’s bedrooms. At least 12 dead, including three children, so far. pic.twitter.com/ZTIEuYmcRA

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) August 28, 2025

Emergency officials have said at least four children died, with the youngest two years old. An outraged Zelensky stated that „Russia opts for missiles over diplomacy. It continues its campaign of killing rather than choosing peace.”

He’s of late been urging maximal US and European sanctions to be ramped up on Russia, and for strong Western backing of his military to continue.

The capital was throughout much of the conflict largely spared from the main fighting and death and destruction, but this has been changing over the last weeks and months – in apparent retaliation for Ukraine’s increasingly brazen cross-border drone attacks on Russian energy sites and factories.

The biggest single attack on Kiev was a July missile and drone attack that killed over 30 people, including five children. This new assault saw nearly 600 projectiles launched across Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military.

Mayor Vitaly Klitschko commented on the fresh overnight attack by saying this was chiefly ballistic and cruise missiles which did the most damage. There were also Iranian-designed Shahed suicide drones, and that they pummeled residential areas.

Ukrainian government image of Thursday attack aftermath.

He detailed that a five-story residential building in the Darnytsky district collapsed and a shopping mall was also hit. Many in the sleeping city woke up under attack and rushed to the safety of subway stations underground.

Crucially the European Union’s diplomatic mission in the capital was also damaged, with European Council President Antonio Costa confirming via a photo on X that the building suffered blown-out windows and debris scattered across offices.

EU mission in Kyiv charges Russia with having targeted diplomats „in direct breach of the Vienna convention.”

During the night strike, Russia also targeted diplomats—in direct breach of the Vienna convention. The EU mission to Ukraine was damaged. This requires not only the EU’s, but worldwide condemnation. We express solidarity with our EU colleagues and are ready to provide assistance. pic.twitter.com/NqP1JGJxIy

— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) August 28, 2025

„My sympathies go out to the Ukrainian victims, and to the EU delegation staff whose building was struck in this intentional Russian attack,” Costa said.

According to more via CNN, „Buildings belonging to the European Union and the British Council were damaged in the strikes into Thursday, causing both the EU and the United Kingdom to summon the top Russian diplomats in their capitals.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted on X: „Putin’s strikes last night killed civilians, destroyed homes and damaged buildings, including the British Council and EU Delegation in Kyiv.”

„We have summoned the Russian Ambassador. The killing and destruction must stop,” he added. President Trump or the White House is also likely to chime in later in the day to condemn the attack. Peace still seems very far away at this point.

And Prime Minister Kier Starmer stated, My thoughts are with all those affected by the senseless Russian strikes on Kyiv which have damaged the British Council building. Putin is killing children and civilians, and sabotaging hopes of peace. This bloodshed must end.”