Russia Launches Largest Aerial Assault on Ukraine, Strikes Kyiv Government Building

KYIV, September 7, 2025 - Russia unleashed its most extensive overnight drone-and-missile barrage of the war, targeting government and civilian sites across Ukraine and igniting a blaze at the Cabinet of Ministers in central Kyiv, killing at least three people and wounding dozens.

The unprecedented attack-comprising over 800 Shahed drones and 13 missiles-marks a sharp escalation in Moscow’s campaign and underscores the Kremlin’s rejection of diplomatic overtures as Western allies weigh tougher sanctions and air-defense aid.

Record-Scale Barrage

  • Russia deployed some 810 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles from multiple launch points, including occupied Crimea and border regions.
  • Ukrainian air defenses intercepted roughly 751 drones and four missiles, but debris and surviving weapons struck 33 locations, igniting fires in Kyiv’s government complex and residential high-rises.

Human Toll and Damage

Emergency services reported three fatalities in Kyiv-among them an infant-and 44 injuries, with fires raging on upper floors of the Cabinet building. In Sumy and Chernihiv regions, Russian strikes claimed additional lives and damaged critical infrastructure.

International Reaction

European and NATO leaders condemned the strikes as a “deliberate crime” and demanded stronger sanctions on Russia. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Europe to join renewed economic pressure to force President Putin to negotiate.

Ukraine’s Response

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for urgent delivery of advanced air-defense systems and tighter sanctions, warning that only united international resolve can halt Russian terror. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko vowed to rebuild the government complex but lamented that “lost lives cannot be restored.”

Frontline Dynamics

Beyond Kyiv, Ukrainian forces reported renewed Russian advances in the east, where small marine units are probing defences. Ukraine’s drone command claimed a retaliatory strike on an oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, signaling continued tit-for-tat assaults on both sides.

Russia’s Defence Ministry maintains that the strikes hit only military-industrial and logistics targets, denying civilian harm. Kyiv’s authorities and Western capitals reject this, citing mounting evidence of indiscriminate attacks on non-combatants.