A large-scale attack in Kiev leaves at least 15 dead and sparks European outrage.

BarcelonaA new combined Russian drone and missile attack on Kiev has left at least fifteen dead, including a fourteen-year-old girl and three other minors, and another 45 injured, according to the country's authorities on Thursday. Among the injured are five minors, between seven and seventeen years old, with injuries of varying severity. It is feared that as rescue efforts progress in the many affected areas, the death toll will rise. Last night's attack was the second deadliest attack on Kiev since the start of the war. Messages of condemnation have been repeated from all corners of Europe: from French President Emmanuel Macron to the European institutions, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Peace seems further away than ever, despite the red carpet that Donald Trump put Putin in Alaska Two weeks ago.

According to information provided by the head of the city's military administration, Timur Tkachenko, Russia launched drones overnight—to confuse defenses—cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles at around twenty locations in the capital. A total of 31 missiles and more than 600 drones were fired. Nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping center, the European Union delegation in the city, and the building that houses the British Council headquarters, and thousands of windows were shattered. More than 60,000 people were left without power.

The Foreign Office has recalled the Russian ambassador in London to demand an explanation for the attack on the British Council headquarters. So has the European Union, which has summoned the Russian envoy to Brussels. "No diplomatic mission should ever be a target," said Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat. Meanwhile, 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. The crews 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. Tonight's bombings confirm the increased frequency and intensity of Russian airstrikes since the beginning of 2025. 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.