Russian Drone and Missile Attack on Kyiv Kills 15 Including Children Amid Rising Tensions Over Peace Talks

Firefighters work at the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 28, 2025

A massive Russian drone and missile attack struck Ukraine’s capital Kyiv early Thursday, including a rare strike in the city center, killing at least 15 people, among them four children, officials confirmed. It was the first major combined assault on the capital in weeks and came as U.S.-led efforts to broker peace in the nearly three-year war continue to stall.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as a “horrific and deliberate killing of civilians,” saying Russia had no intention of ending the war and urging the international community to impose harsher sanctions. “The Russians understand only strength and pressure,” he said, adding that dozens of residential and commercial buildings were hit, including one housing the European Union Delegation to Ukraine.

Kyiv city administration head Tymur Tkachenko said the dead included four children between the ages of 2 and 17, with at least 48 others injured. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles across the country, of which 41 reached their targets.

A man embraces a child as they stand at the site of buildings hit by Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv, Ukraine on August 28, 2025

European and British leaders swiftly condemned the assault. European Council President Antonio Costa said the EU “will not be intimidated,” while UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “killing children and civilians and sabotaging hopes of peace.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it targeted “military-industrial enterprises and airbases,” a statement echoed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who insisted Moscow remained open to negotiations despite the civilian toll.

The attack struck 20 locations across seven districts of Kyiv, one of the rare times central parts of the capital were hit. Fires tore through residential buildings, including a five-story apartment block in the Darnytskyi district where bodies were pulled from rubble. Witnesses described hearing screams as rescuers pulled survivors out. “It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” said Oleksandr Khilko, who saved three people, including a child.

Firefighters work on the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025

The timing of the strikes heightened tensions as peace discussions remain uncertain following U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska earlier this month. While the talks raised hopes for diplomacy, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of stalling while its forces expanded operations deeper into Ukraine. Trump said he expected to decide within two weeks on next steps if direct peace talks do not occur and suggested U.S. policy on Ukraine’s ability to strike inside Russia could change.

Meanwhile, Russia reported shooting down 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, with two separate refinery fires breaking out in Krasnodar and Samara regions following drone strikes. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, straining fuel supplies in several regions.