LONDON, Aug 29: The European Union has condemned Russia’s latest missile barrage on Kyiv, which Ukrainian officials say was the deadliest since July. The attack killed at least 23 people, among them four children, and destroyed a five-storey residential block in the Darnytskyi district on the capital’s left bank, the BBC reported.
The BBC stated that EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed outrage after the bombardment also damaged the EU’s delegation office in Kyiv. In her words, “Two missiles hit within 50m of the delegation within 20 seconds.” The BBC noted that the British Council, located near the EU mission, was also badly damaged.
Ukrainian authorities, cited by the BBC, said Russia launched nearly 600 drones and more than 30 ballistic and cruise missiles in the overnight strikes, describing it as the heaviest assault on the capital this month. Rescue workers searched the rubble for survivors as officials confirmed that children aged two, 14 and 17 were among the dead.
Fighting reaches the outskirts of Kyiv
According to the BBC, the attack came soon after a US-led diplomatic effort to push for peace. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accused Vladimir Putin of “sabotaging hopes of peace,” while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the BBC that the strikes showed “a deliberate choice to escalate and mock peace efforts.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, quoted by the BBC, said Moscow had chosen “ballistics instead of the negotiating table” and repeated calls for “new, tough sanctions.” Although the Kremlin insisted it remained open to talks, von der Leyen said the assault proved Russia would “stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine.”
The BBC also cited US special envoy on Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who argued that Russia’s “egregious attacks” on residential areas endangered peace efforts. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the BBC that the strikes showed Russia had “again revealed its true face,” pointing to the damage to the EU’s own offices.
An EU spokeswoman, quoted by the BBC, stressed that no diplomatic mission should ever be targeted and said the Russian charge d’affaires in Brussels had been summoned. The UK Foreign Office also called in Russia’s ambassador Andrei Kelin, the BBC reported.
The BBC said energy facilities were hit as well, leaving over 100,000 Ukrainian households without electricity, with another 60,000 cut off in Vinnytsia region. Russia also claimed responsibility for striking a Ukrainian naval vessel, though Kyiv gave no details.
Von der Leyen told the BBC that the EU was preparing a 19th package of sanctions against Moscow and would send her on a visit to seven member states bordering Russia and Belarus in the coming days.
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