The death toll from Russian rocket and drone strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv continues to rise. Authorities said Friday that at least 23 people, including children, were killed overnight in the deadliest assault on the city in months.
By Stefan J. Bos
The strikes also damaged Kyiv’s British Council and European Union offices, prompting Britain and the EU to summon their Russian envoys.
Residents described scenes of chaos and horror as missiles tore through residential areas. “It all happened so quickly. The windows shattered, the whole apartment filled with dust and smoke,” said one young man, who carried his aunt’s two children — one just two years old — to safety.
He added that victims were trapped under rubble. “I saw a man on the ground screaming. His leg was broken, almost cut off. And there was a child under the rubble. We helped the child first.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of rejecting diplomacy in favour of missiles and drones, even deepening ties with regimes such as North Korea. “Tougher sanctions are needed so the murderers do not feel impunity,” he said.
European leaders echoed those calls. At defence talks in Copenhagen, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned: “These attacks show that Putin is just mocking any kind of peace efforts. So what we have to do is increase pressure on Russia.”
That message was likely to be echoed by other European leaders — including those from France and Germany, at a special summit — to stress unity in confronting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
