Russia kills dozens in largest two-day aerial assault on Kyiv

Strikes collapsed a residential building in the capital and left more than 20 people missing. President Zelensky has ordered the military to prepare a response as rescuers continue clearing rubble.

Russia launched one of its largest aerial assaults since the 2022 invasion, killing at more than 20 people in Kyiv, including three children, after an overnight barrage of drones and missiles. The strikes partially collapsed a nine-story residential building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district. Among the dead were a 12-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl. Rescue teams inspected 2,800 square meters of territory and removed more than 3,180 cubic meters of debris.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired over 1,560 drones and 56 missiles across May 13 and 14, calling it a deliberate strategy to overwhelm air defenses. Ukraine intercepted 94% of drones but only 7% of missiles. "This is definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end," Zelensky said, urging allies to hold Moscow accountable.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused Moscow of indiscriminately targeting civilians and announced finalization of a 6-billion-euro drone support package for Ukraine. Meanwhile Ukraine's FM Andriy Sybiha called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting and urged Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, meeting in Beijing, to pressure Russia to end the war.

The scale of the assault appeared to undercut claims by US President Donald Trump that a peace deal was imminent. Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that the end of the war was "getting very close."