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By Joe Edwards
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A key government building in Kyiv was damaged and four people across the country were killed on Sunday in Russia's largest aerial attack on Ukraine since war broke out.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that strikes damaged the Cabinet of Ministers building, resulting in a fire breaking out on the upper floors.
Why It Matters
The Cabinet of Ministers building houses senior Ukrainian ministers and sits in a heavily defended area of central Kyiv that, until Sunday, had not sustained direct damage in the months of wide-ranging strikes since Russia's 2022 invasion.
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The escalation comes amid stalled peace efforts and increased international calls for more sanctions against Russia and military support for Ukraine.
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What To Know
Ukraine's air force said Russia launched a wave of drones and missiles overnight—reporting over 800 drones and 13 missiles—and that air defenses shot down and suppressed the majority.
The strikes included 810 Shahed-type attack unmanned aerial vehicles and drones of various types, nine Iskander-K cruise missiles and four Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles, the air force said on Telegram.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, four people were killed and 44 others injured in strikes that reached at least 33 locations across the country. "Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war," Zelenskyy said, in a statement shared on X.
In Kyiv alone, local officials said at least 10 sites were damaged. A drone hit a nine-story residential building in Sviatoshynskyi district, and another damaged a four-story building in Darnytskyi district.
Two of the dead in the capital were a mother and her 3-month-old child. Their bodies were recovered from the rubble, according to Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's city administration.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the strike targeted drone facilities, military air bases, an industrial plant, and a logistics center. The ministry stated that "all designated objects were hit" and insisted "no strikes were carried out on other objects within the borders of Kyiv," possibly referencing the damage to the government complex.
What People Are Saying
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X: "It has been repeatedly said in Washington that sanctions will follow a refusal to talk. We must implement everything that was agreed in Paris. We also count on the implementation of all the agreements to strengthen our air defense.
"Every additional system saves civilians from these vile strikes. The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop the killings—all that is needed is political will. I thank everyone who is helping."
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Telegram: "For the first time, the government building was damaged by an enemy attack, including the roof and upper floors."
**French President Emmanuel Macron said on X: "**Russia has once again rained down hundreds of drones and a dozen missiles on Ukraine overnight, striking indiscriminately — including residential areas and the seat of government.
"My thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones, and with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Together with Ukraine and our partners, we stand for peace. Russia, meanwhile, is locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror."
What Happens Next
This marks the second large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv in just two weeks. As hopes for peace negotiations continue to diminish, European leaders are considering new security guarantees for Ukraine, including a postwar deployment of a multinational "reassurance force."
Meanwhile, Ukrainian leaders called for more weapons and international action. "The world must respond to this destruction not only with words, but with actions. We need to increase sanctions pressure, primarily against Russian oil and gas. New restrictions are needed that will hit the Kremlin's war machine," Svyrydenko said.
"And most importantly, Ukraine needs weapons. Something that will stop terror and prevent Russia from trying to kill Ukrainians every day."
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press
Update, 9/7/2025, 5:27 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update, 9/7/2025, 10:38 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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