Russian drones set Kyiv government building ablaze

Smoke billows over the government headquarters in Kyiv following Russian drone and missile strikes (Illustrative image) (Photo by OLEKSANDR MAGULA/AFP via Getty Images) Getty Images

Russian drone attacks struck Kyiv overnight, setting fire to Ukraine's main government building and killing at least three people including an infant. Reuters witnesses saw thick smoke rising from the government building in the city's Pecherskyi district after the blaze broke out.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack began with waves of drones followed by missile strikes. A 32-year-old woman and her two-month-old son were killed in the Sviatoshynskyi district, according to reports from multiple sources.

Massive aerial offensive

Ukrainian officials report the attack involved 805 drones and decoys plus missiles, with Ukraine's air defences shooting down 747 drones and four missiles. Multiple sources describe this as the largest aerial assault since the war began.

An elderly woman died in a bomb shelter in the Darnytskyi district. A pregnant woman was among five people injured and admitted to hospital.

Widespread destruction

Several floors of a nine-storey residential building were partially destroyed in the western Sviatoshynskyi district. Falling drone debris sparked fires in a 16-storey apartment building and two additional nine-storey buildings.

Emergency officials reported fires breaking out on two floors of a residential building in Darnytskyi district, with the structure partially destroyed. Social media photographs showed smoke billowing from apartment buildings with partially collapsed floors and crumbled facades.

Attacks beyond Kyiv

"Russia was deliberately and consciously striking civilian targets," said Timur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration. Dozens of explosions rocked the central city of Kremenchuk, cutting power to some areas.

Russian strikes targeted transport and urban infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih, though no injuries were reported there. In the southern city of Odesa, civilian infrastructure and residential buildings suffered damage with fires breaking out in several apartment blocks.

International response

Only Daily Mail reports that NATO scrambled warplanes in response to the attack. Moscow did not immediately comment on the strikes.

Both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians in their military operations.

Sources used: "PA Media", "The i", "Metro", "The Guardian", "Daily Mail", "Mirror", "Reuters"

Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.