Russia reportedly unleashed its largest air assault on Ukraine since the war began, Ukrainian officials said Sunday, striking the capital and killing at least two people, including a child.
The barrage marked a new phase of the conflict, as even Kyiv’s central government buildings were not spared from attack.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Department, Russia launched an unprecedented wave of 810 Shahed-type strike drones, nine Iskander-K cruise missiles, and four Iskander-M ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces claimed they shot down 747 of the drones and four cruise missiles, but others penetrated the defenses and ignited a fire at a government building in central Kyiv.
Ukrainian claims have been repeatedly found to be significantly exaggerated since the start of the war.
“Thank you to Ukrainian air defenders for your work!” read a statement from the Defense Department. “Ukraine needs more air defense systems to protect our people from such barbaric attacks.”
The scope of the assault, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said, made it “the largest since the war started.” He confirmed that civilians were among the dead but did not release an official tally. Associated Press reporters at the scene saw flames engulfing a government structure, though it was unclear whether the fire was caused by a direct strike or falling debris.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed at least two deaths, dozens of injuries, and “for the first time, the building of the Ukrainian Government sustained direct damage – its roof and upper floors hit in the enemy attack.” Fire crews battled the blaze amid the chaos.
“We will rebuild what has been destroyed,” she said. “But the lives lost cannot be restored. Russia continues to terrorize and murder our people every single day.”
Svyrydenko called on Ukraine’s allies to go beyond rhetoric. “Sanctions pressure must be intensified, above all against Russian oil and gas,” she declared. “New restrictions are needed that will strike at the Kremlin’s military machine. And most importantly, Ukraine needs weapons. Only strength can stop the terror and prevent Russia from killing Ukrainians every day.”
The comments underscored Kyiv’s deepening frustration with the pace of Western support. For months, Ukrainian leaders have warned that incremental shipments of aid are not enough to match Moscow’s overwhelming stockpile of drones and missiles.
Sunday’s attacks offered a vivid illustration of the imbalance: nearly 1,000 munitions deployed in a single day.
The timing is politically sensitive. President Donald Trump has sought to negotiate an end to the war, emphasizing that Washington’s priority should be peace and stability rather than an open-ended commitment of U.S. weapons and resources. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is willing to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin in spite of refusing a direct offer from Putin to meet in person in Moscow.
For conservatives, the strike raises pressing questions. If Russia can mount such a massive assault nearly three years into the conflict, critics argue, what has the existing Western strategy achieved? Billions in aid have been sent, but Kyiv is still pleading for more weapons and tougher sanctions.
The latest attacks left smoldering ruins in Ukraine’s capital — and revived a larger debate in Washington about the best way to finally end the war.
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