Russia strikes seat of Ukrainian government with more than 800 drones and missiles

Russia on Sunday launched the largest aerial offensive against Ukraine since the war began, a barrage of more than 800 drones and missiles that left at least five dead and sparked a fire at the seat of the Ukrainian government in Kiev.

"For the first time, the roof and upper floors were damaged due to an enemy attack. Rescuers are extinguishing the fire," Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported on Telegram. "We will restore the buildings. But we cannot recover the lost lives. The enemy terrorizes and kills our people every day all over the country," Svyrydenko said.

The attack on Ukraine's government headquarters, a large complex in the heart of Kiev, is the first of its kind since the conflict began. An AFP reporter witnessed helicopters dropping what looked like buckets of water on the roof, where flames were visible, as emergency services rushed to the scene. Police cordoned off the area surrounding the building.

Ukrainian air defenses shot down or neutralized 747 drones and four missiles

The attack also damaged several high-rise buildings in Kiev, emergency services reported. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched more than 800 drones and missiles against Ukraine overnight, the largest attack since the war began in February 2022. Air defenses shot down or neutralized 747 drones and four missiles.

Since the start of the Russian invasion, Moscow has shown no signs that it wants to stop its offensive against this former Soviet republic and maintains its demands for a peace deal, conditions that are unacceptable to Ukraine.

The shelling comes after several European countries, led by France and the United Kingdom, pledged Thursday to deploy forces to Ukraine in the future, should a peace deal prosper. Russia called these security guarantees "unacceptable."

A baby among the victims

An attack on a nine-story residential building in western Kiev killed at least two people and left 18 injured, rescue workers said. One of the fatalities is a baby. Ukraine's rescue service released photos showing the building in flames as smoke billowed from its facade.

Shelling overnight hit other areas of Ukraine and in Dnipropetrovsk, in the center of the country, the military authority, Serhiy Lysak, reported that a 54-year-old man was killed. Ukrainian authorities reported thata woman died early Sunday morning in a Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia, in the south, and that a shelling late Saturday night left one dead in Sumi, a region bordering Russia.

The air offensive came after more than 20 European countries pledged to monitor an eventual peace deal with troops on the ground.

Kiev says these security guarantees, backed by Western troops, are crucial to any peace deal and to ensure that Russia does not invade the country again in the future. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains that the presence of Western forces in Ukraine is unacceptable and that these troops would be a "legitimate" target.