A shocking mass Russian drone and missile assault rocked Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, early Thursday, August 28, 2025, claiming at least 12 lives, including three children aged 2, 14, and 17, and injuring 48 others, according to local authorities. This devastating strike, marking one of the war’s largest air attacks, involved Russia launching 598 drones and 31 missiles across the country, with Ukrainian forces managing to neutralize 563 drones and 26 missiles.
The assault struck over 20 locations across seven Kyiv districts, damaging nearly 100 buildings, including a central shopping mall, and shattering thousands of windows. A direct hit on a five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district left it in ruins, with smoke and the stench of burning materials filling the air as firefighters battled the blaze. Rescue teams worked tirelessly, pulling bodies from the rubble, while residents, including a man anxiously awaiting news of his wife and son, watched in despair.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s city administration, condemned the rare central Kyiv strike, noting its disruption to daily life. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed the attack, urging global leaders to respond, stating, “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table.” Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 102 Ukrainian drones, while fires erupted at oil refineries in Krasnodar and Samara regions, possibly linked to retaliatory Ukrainian strikes.
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This attack, the first major combined assault on Kyiv since the Trump-Putin Alaska meeting earlier this month, highlights stalled peace efforts. Western leaders accuse Vladimir Putin of delaying negotiations as Russian forces advance into an eighth Ukrainian region. Zelenskyy demands tougher US sanctions, while Trump, frustrated by the lack of progress, hinted at decisive action if talks don’t resume within two weeks. As Kyiv reels, the city braces for an uncertain future amid the ongoing conflict.
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