European leaders are united in their condemnation after Russia’s deadly drone and missile attack in Kyiv on Thursday damaged the E.U. Mission and British Council buildings.
According to the head of Kyiv’s Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, the strikes in the Ukrainian capital—thought to be the second-biggest air assault of the war so far—killed at least 19 people, including four children.
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lambasted the “senseless” strikes and accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “sabotaging hopes of peace.”
“Putin is killing children and civilians… the bloodshed must end,” he implored.
U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy echoed Starmer’s stance and announced they “have summoned the Russian Ambassador.”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the E.U. Commission, also condemned the attacks that struck the E.U. delegation for the first time.
“Another night of Russia’s relentless bombings struck civilian infrastructure and killed innocents… Russia must stop its indiscriminatory attacks on civilian infrastructure immediately and join negotiations for a just and lasting peace,” she said, confirming that the E.U. mission staff were safe.
President of the European Council António Costa said he was “horrified” by the assault and insisted the “E.U. will not be intimidated.”
“Russia’s aggression only strengthens our resolve to stand with Ukraine and its people,” he vowed.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Russia had “shown its true face again” with the deadly attack.
“The fact that the E.U. representation has now also come under fire testifies to the growing ruthlessness of the Russian regime,” argued Merz.
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country “condemns these senseless and cruel attacks in the strongest possible terms” and offered “full support to the Ukrainian people and deepest compassion for all the grieving families.”
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The British Council in Ukraine confirmed that its offices had “suffered significant damage” as a result of the strikes. It will be closed until further notice.
“Thankfully, our colleagues are all safe and our work with our Ukrainian partners in education and culture will continue uninterrupted,” a spokesperson for the British Council told TIME in an emailed statement.
An E.U. employee reviews the damage in the offices of the European Union delegation in Ukraine after a Russian missile and drone attack in the country’s capital, Kyiv, on Aug. 28, 2025. Sergei Supinsky—Getty Images
According to an update shared by Ukraine’s Air Force on Thursday morning, Russia launched around 598 strike drones into Ukraine overnight into the early hours of the morning, as well as 31 missiles of varying types from launch sites in Kursk and Crimea, amongst other locations.
Tkachenko said that there was “significant damage to residential buildings in the Darnytsia and Dnipro districts,” including a five-story residential block in Darnytsia that had been destroyed with “a direct hit.”
Search and rescue operations continue in the Darnytsia district in the west of the city.
In response to the barrage of strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his calls for stronger sanctions to be placed on Russia.
“It is crucial now that the world responds firmly. Russia must stop this war it started and continues. For the spurning of cease-fire and for the constant Russian attempts to weasel out of negotiations, new strong sanctions are needed,” said Zelensky.
The Russian Ministry of Defence said that it had struck targets “within Ukraine’s military-industrial complex” and that “all designated objects were hit,” according to the Associated Press.
The Ministry has also stated that it had intercepted and destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones within Russia overnight, according to state media, with Yury Slyusar, acting Governor of the Rostov Region, stating that 21 drones had been destroyed in the Samara and Rostov regions, with 89 residents reportedly evacuated due to the “threat of detonation.”
Rescuers search within the rubble after a Russian ballistic missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 28, 2025. Pierre Crom—Getty Images
Russia’s fervent strikes against Ukraine come after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Putin in Alaska for a “high-stakes” summit earlier this month.
The meeting served as the first in-person encounter between Trump and Putin since 2019, and was intended to foster discussions about a path toward a potential cease-fire, but it ended earlier than expected and, notably, without a deal being reached.
Trump has since met with Zelensky and key European leaders, including Starmer, at the White House to discuss possible steps forward.
Meanwhile, Zelensky’s European allies stand ready to “increase pressure” on Russia.
“We do stand ready to increase pressure on Russia, particularly the economy, with sanctions and wider measures as may be necessary,” Starmer said in mid-August. “It’s important we all continue to work alongside Presidents Trump and Zelensky for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, called the strikes on Thursday “egregious” and argued they “threaten the peace” that the U.S. is actively pursuing.
“The targets? Not soldiers and weapons but residential areas in Kyiv—blasting civilian trains, the E.U. and British mission council offices, and innocent civilians,” said Kellogg.