Putin once again targets Ukraine: at least twelve dead in a large-scale attack on Kiev

BarcelonaA new combined Russian drone and missile attack on Kiev has left at least twelve dead—including a 14-year-old girl and two other minors—and 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.

According to information provided by the head of the city's military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, Russia launched cobblestone drones (to confuse defenses) and cruise and ballistic missiles against around twenty points in the capital overnight. In total, 31 missiles and more than 600 drones were fired. Nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping center and the headquarters of the European Union, and thousands of windows were shattered.

One of the most serious impacts occurred in the Darnytskyi district, where a five-story residential building took a direct hit. "Everything is 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."

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 Koziatyn, 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 altered. The 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. Last night's bombings confirm the increase in the 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 guaranteesBut it was all fireworks with no conclusive results. Meanwhile, his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed this Tuesday in an interview on FOX that he maintains daily contact with Russian representatives and that both he and the president himself were confident of resolving the conflict before the end of the year. The head of European diplomacy, 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, with militarization as the only alternative.