By Florent Vergnes, AFP
Smoke rising following an explosion during a night mass drone and missile strikes on Kyiv. Photo: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP
Russian missiles and drones ripped through apartment blocks in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early Thursday (local time), killing at least eight people in what President Volodymyr Zelensky said represented a clear disregard for peace negotiations.
Russia rained down aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities, despite US President Donald Trump's push for a ceasefire and even as it talks up the importance of ending the war, triggered by its February 2022 full-scale invasion.
At dawn, residents and emergency service workers were clearing debris from streets strewn with broken glass and building materials, an AFP journalist at the scene of one strike in central Kyiv saw.
The attack had blasted a five-storey crater in one apartment block, ripping the building in two, images posted by Zelensky showed.
The windows of residential buildings and small businesses in the surrounding block were blown out. Mattresses hung out of crumpled balconies, blown open in the strike.
At least eight people were killed, including a child, Zelensky said.
"Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table," he said on social media. "It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war.
"This means that Russia still does not fear the consequences."
'Diplomacy ruined'
Zelensky called for a tough response from Ukraine's allies, including fresh sanctions.
He also called on Russia's ally China and EU member Hungary to take a much tougher stance against Moscow.
"All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined," he said. "Russia must feel accountable for every strike, for every day of this war."
At the start of the war, Kyiv was relatively well protected from Russian aerial attacks, but in recent months, it had been hit with deadly attacks, as Moscow fired record drone and missiles at the country.
Last month, the capital suffered one of its worst-ever attacks, when strikes killed more than 30 people, including five children.
Among the victims of Thursday's strike were a 14-year-old girl, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city's military administration.
Moscow fired ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as Iranian-designed Shahed drones, from different directions to "systematically" target residential buildings, he said.
Red tracer bullets sailed through the night sky in an effort to intercept drones above the city centre, an AFP journalist saw.
During the attack, residents took refuge in subway stations, some lying in sleeping bags and others holding their pets.
A five-storey building in the Darnytsky district collapsed and a city-centre shopping mall was also hit, Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko reported.
Stuttering diplomacy
The attacks came a day after the Kremlin rejected the chances of a swift meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv said such a summit was crucial to breaking the deadlock over how to end the war.
Moscow demands Kyiv cede more territory and renounce Western military support, as preconditions for any peace deal - demands ruled out by Kyiv.
On Wednesday, Putin's spokesman said Russia viewed the idea of a European peacekeeping force - seen by Kyiv as vital to deterring a future Russian attack - "negatively".
Putin has rejected calls for an immediate ceasefire from Zelensky, Trump and European leaders. Ukraine has long cast Russia as paying only lip-service to the idea of halting its invasion.
Russian forces have slowly, but steadily gained ground on the battlefield, where they hold an advantage in manpower and weapons.
Before concluding any peace agreement, Ukraine wanted security guarantees from the West to deter any future Russian attacks - something Moscow pushed back against.
His top aides were to meet with Trump's team in New York on Friday, where they would press for strong US involvement.
- AFP
