In mid-August, U.S. President Donald Trump hosted his Ukrainian and Russian counterparts for separate summits, hoping to broker a lasting peace deal that would bring the war between the two countries to an end. Now, a little less than a month later, Moscow seems intent on not only eschewing peace but ramping up hostilities, after the Kremlin launched its largest aerial attack in more than 3 ½ years of fighting, killing four people and damaging the Ukrainian government’s headquarters in the process.
Ukrainian government building suffers damage
On Sunday, Russia undertook its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since launching its invasion of the country in February 2022. A barrage of more than 800 drones and decoys fell across Ukraine, killing four people and striking the Cabinet of Ministers building in the heart of Kyiv.
The offensive marked not only the largest aerial assault but also the first time a government building had been damaged during the war. According to reporters with The Associated Press who were on the scene, smoke could be seen rising from the building.
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“For the first time since the start of full-scale invasion, Russians struck our government headquarters in the center of Kyiv,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a video while standing in the smoldering Cabinet building. “It looks like Russia is not seeking peace and is not ready for negotiations. We call our partners to help close our sky. Let’s strengthen sanctions against Russia. Let’s create the security guarantees system that will help stop the enemy.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy similarly called on Kyiv’s Western allies to exert greater pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have started long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” Zelenskyy said. “The world can force the Kremlin criminals to stop killing; only political will is needed.”
In a post on Telegram, Russia’s Ministry of Defense didn’t acknowledge striking the building. Rather, the ministry said it used “high-precision weapons” to target “facilities for the production, assembly, repair, storage and launch of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as military air bases.”
According to the AP, the ministry also said that “all designated objects were hit,” adding, “no strikes were carried out on other objects within the borders of Kyiv” –– an apparent reference to the Cabinet of Ministers building.
Javed Ali, a professor at the University of Michigan and member of its Weiser Diplomacy Center, told Straight Arrow News that despite the symbolic importance of the government building, Russia’s strikes on Sunday “do not represent a significant escalation in Moscow’s tactics.”
“While the timing and objectives for these operations vary, at some instances, it would appear that those types of attacks are designed to send political messages about Russian resolve or displeasure with diplomatic efforts,” Ali said. “Three and a half years into the conflict, attacks like these show that Russia does not lack capabilities and can reach deep into Ukrainian territory if it chooses to do so.”
World leaders respond
Following the attack, support poured in from leaders around the world.
“I’m appalled by the latest brutal overnight assault on Kyiv and across Ukraine, which killed civilians and hit infrastructure. For the first time, the heart of Ukraine’s civilian government was damaged,” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in a statement. “These cowardly strikes show that Putin believes he can act with impunity. He is not serious about peace. Now, more than ever, we must stand firm in our support for Ukraine and its sovereignty.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also offered condolences to the country. In response, Zelenskyy wrote on X, “It is vital to work with all Allies to ensure a united response to Russia’s growing terror against our cities and communities. Thank you, Mark, for providing such coordination.”
Speaking with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that America is willing to make life financially difficult on Russia, but that European allies need to follow suit.
“We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our European partners to follow us,” Bessent said. “We are in a race now between how long can the Ukrainian military hold up, versus how long can the Russian economy hold up? And if the U.S. and the [European Union] can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in total collapse, and that will bring President Putin to the table.”
While Bessent signaled U.S. intentions to put financial pressure on the Kremlin, Ali said it’s “unlikely the most recent Russian attacks will significantly alter President Trump’s position on the conflict.”
“While the U.S. will continue to provide Ukraine with military assistance, including much-needed air defense systems and artillery pieces and rounds, it will not be direct from the U.S. to Ukraine, funded by U.S. taxpayers, but rather procured by NATO countries first and then delivered to Ukraine,” Ali told SAN.
Largest assault since start of war
In total, 805 drones were deployed by Russia on Sunday, alongside nine cruise missiles and four ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted 747 of the drones and four of the cruise missiles, authorities reported.
However, nine missiles and 56 drones struck 37 areas throughout Ukraine.
In Kyiv, a mother and her infant were killed after a drone strike caused a shockwave that threw them to the ground. An elderly woman also died while seeking shelter in Darnytskyi district. Dozens of others were injured following strikes on residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchuk and more.
