800 Drones, 13 Missiles: Russia’s Biggest Air Attack On Ukraine Hits Govt Building; More Sanctions Soon?

Despite the highly anticipated meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump in Alaska last month, Moscow has launched its largest air assault on Ukraine since the beginning of the war. The attack devastated key infrastructure across the country.

This is the first time that the main government building in Kyiv has been damaged by an enemy strike, setting its top floor ablaze. According to Ukrainian officials, at least four people were killed, including an infant, and dozens were injured. The strikes hit multiple cities and regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, and parts of Sumy and Chernihiv.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia deployed 805 drones and 13 missiles, the largest drone barrage since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Russia’s largest air strike on Ukraine: How Zelenskyy, international community responded?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it a “deliberate crime” and an effort to prolong the war at a time when “real diplomacy could have already begun.”

“Such killings now, when real diplomacy could have already begun long ago, are a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war. It has been repeatedly said in Washington that sanctions will follow a refusal to talk. We must implement everything that was agreed in Paris,” he posted on X.

European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK PM Keir Stamer expressed solidarity with Ukraine. Tusk criticized ongoing efforts to appease Putin, writing, “The continued delay of a strong reaction against Putin makes no sense.”

Was the Russian Assault Meant to Undermine Zelenskyy’s U.S. Visit?

Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington, following on the heels of Trump’s meeting with Putin, was already diplomatically charged. Sunday’s massive assault may be interpreted as an attempt by Russia to undermine Zelenskyy’s credibility or shift the optics around Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.

US Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg stated that the scale of the attack showed Russia was “not interested in ending the war diplomatically.”

What damage did the attack cause in Kyiv and beyond?

Thick smoke rose from the historic Pecherskyi district of Kyiv as emergency crews battled flames inside the burning government complex. In the Darnytskyi district, an infant and a young woman were killed when a residential building collapsed. In the Sviatoshynskyi district, drone debris set off fires in multiple apartment buildings.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed this was the first time the central government building had been hit during the war, calling it a symbolic and psychological blow to Ukraine’s leadership.

Did Ukraine Hit back?

In response to the air assault, Ukraine intensified its own deep-strike campaign, targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian military said it inflicted “comprehensive fire damage” on the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, a critical artery of Russia’s war economy.

Dozens of explosions were also reported in Kremenchuk, where power outages and bridge damage were confirmed. Other Russian missile and drone strikes targeted transport and urban infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih and civilian areas in Odesa, causing multiple fires and injuries.

US sanctions on Russia?

Meanwhile, US President Trump said that he is ready to impose a “second phase” of sanctions on Russia, while speaking to reporters outside the White House. Trump stated that he is ready when he was asked if additional measures were coming. His remark followed comments by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who warned that Russia’s economy would collapse if the United States and EU expand secondary sanctions.

“Are you ready to move to the second phase of sanctions against Russia?” a reporter asked, to which Trump replied, “Yeah, I am.”