Russia launches largest airstrike of war on Ukraine

Russia launched its largest air attack of the war on Ukraine overnight, setting the main government building on fire in central Kyiv and killing at least four people, including an infant, Reuters writes.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the drone and missile barrage killed four people and caused damage across the north, south and east of the country, including the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Odesa, as well as in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions.

“Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, issuing a fresh appeal to allies to strengthen Ukrainian air defences.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said it was the first time in the war that the main government building in Kyiv had been hit, a symbolic blow to a well-defended part of the city.

Russia launched 805 drones against Ukraine overnight and 13 missiles, with Ukrainian air defence units downing 751 drones and four missiles, the air force said.