A large-scale attack in Kiev leaves 23 dead and sparks European outrage.

BarcelonaThe death toll from Thursday's combined Russian drone and missile attack on Kiev has risen to 23, the city's military governor, Timur Tkachenko, reported on his Telegram account. He did not specify whether any minors were among them. These new victims are in addition to those announced Thursday, including four children and 63 injured (11 children). Thirty-five of the injured, including six children, have required hospitalization. The death toll could rise, as it has been doing throughout the day.

Last night's attack was the second deadliest attack on Kiev since the start of the war. Messages of condemnation have been heard in every corner of Europe: from French President Emmanuel Macron to the European institutions, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Peace seems further away than ever, despite the red carpet that Donald Trump put Vladimir Putin in Alaska Two weeks ago, however, the White House's reaction has been rather lukewarm, arguing that the attack is part of a war of action-reaction, as Russia has attacked Kiev "just as Ukraine recently attacked Russia's oil refineries." According to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump "is not happy" but also admits that "perhaps neither side in this war is ready to end it."

According to information provided by the head of the city's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, Russia launched drones (to confuse defenses), cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at around twenty points in the capital overnight. In total, 31 missiles and more than 600 drones. Nearly 100 buildings have been damaged, including a shopping mall, the European Union delegation in the city, and the building that houses the British Council headquarters, and thousands of windows have been shattered. More than 60,000 people have been left without power due to damage to various energy infrastructure.

The Foreign Office has summoned the Russian ambassador in London to demand an explanation for the attack on the British Council headquarters. The European Union has also done so, summoning the Russian envoy to Brussels. "No diplomatic mission should ever be a target," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat. This morning, Ursula von der Leyen said she was "outraged by the attack" and warned that "Russia must immediately stop its indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure."

One of the most serious impacts occurred in the Darnitsky district, where a five-story residential building took a direct hit. "Everything has been destroyed," Tkachenko said. The flames also affected a kindergarten and several apartment blocks. Emergency services are currently working around the clock to rescue people who may be trapped under the rubble and to extinguish the fires still burning in more than 20 locations. Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klychko reported that at least 30 people have had to be hospitalized. "This is a large-scale attack that has shaken the entire city," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the offensive and called for "new and tough sanctions" against Moscow. In a message posted on X, he asserted that "Russia chooses ballistic missiles over the negotiating table; it chooses to continue killing rather than end the war."

Despite the devastation of the attack and Zelensky's accusations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured this Thursday afternoon that Russia remains "interested" in achieving peace, but that it will continue to direct its offensive at military targets. However, tonight's bombings have resulted in the deaths of civilians.

Other affected regions

The first explosions were heard around 9:30 p.m. local time yesterday, Wednesday, when air defenses began to operate in the skies above Kiev. Shortly after midnight, a new wave of drones approached the capital, and the defenses were activated again. The Ukrainian military also confirmed that dozens of drones flew in swarms over central and southern regions of the country, such as Khitomyr, Odessa, and Mykolaiv; and air alerts were also issued in the west of the country, including Ternopil, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk. Later, Russia launched ballistic missiles toward central Ukraine.

At around 3:00 a.m., the capital's military administration confirmed a new ballistic missile attack. And just a couple of hours later, at 5:30 a.m., while rescue teams were still searching for survivors in the rubble of destroyed buildings, Moscow launched another wave of cruise missiles against Kiev and other regions of the country.

One of the most serious impacts tonight occurred in Koziatin, in the Vinnitsa region, where the Intercity+ high-speed train depot was attacked. According to the state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznitsia, one of the trains was severely damaged, and operations had to be modified. Staff had taken shelter in advance, and there were no casualties.

In response to the offensive, Poland has activated its military aviation, along with NATO aircraft, to ensure the security of Polish airspace. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the deaths of "innocent civilians" demonstrate that partners cannot be "naive" about Russia, after recently demanding assurances that the Russian military is not being reinforced. Tonight's bombings confirm the increased frequency and the 2025 attack. On July 29, Moscow carried out the deadliest attack on the capital this year, with 31 civilians killed in a combined offensive.

Diplomatic efforts in vain

Tonight's is the first major combined attack against Kiiv since US President Donald Trump met with Vladimir Putin in Alaska to explore a possible solution to the conflict. Trump has advocated for a direct summit between Putin and Zelensky, but the Ukrainian president is demanding security guarantees from Western allies to prevent further aggression if a peace agreement is reached. Moscow, on the other hand, has reiterated that the conditions for a summit are not in place, highlighting the failure of Trump's strategy.

The president met with European leaders in Washington ten days ago to discuss how to move toward peace and what Kiiv needs security guarantees. But it was all fireworks without any conclusive result, as demonstrated by the facts and the words of condemnation, which are also exuded by impotence, that the leaders themselves issued this Thursday.

Meanwhile, US special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed this Tuesday in an interview on Fox that he maintains daily contacts with Russian representatives and that both he and the president himself were confident of resolving the conflict before the end of the year. European Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas warned that a cession of Ukrainian territory would be a "trap," according to her statements to the BBC.

The new offensive comes after more than 100,000 Ukrainian homes were left without power yesterday, Wednesday, due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Three and a half years after the start of the full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine still has no clear prospects for de-escalation. Trump has bought Putin time, Ukrainians continue to die in the rearguard, and Europe remains powerless against the Kremlin, militarizing as the only alternative.