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People seek shelter inside underground parking as Russian drones and missile strikes target Kyiv amid Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, on August 28, 2025. — Reuters
– The EU and UK summon Russian diplomats to protest Kyiv attacks.
– The White House spokesperson states Trump will have more comments about the strikes.
– It’s suggested that neither side may be ready to cease hostilities on their own.
KYIV: U.S. President Donald Trump expressed that he was “not surprised” by Russia’s missile and drone attacks on Kyiv early Thursday, which resulted in at least 21 casualties in the Ukrainian capital.
These deadly strikes occurred as Trump continues advocating for peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, despite the persistent conflict.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned that Trump “was not happy about the news, but he wasn’t surprised,” considering the long-standing war between the two nations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky characterized the attack, the second-largest since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, as Moscow’s response to diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg shared on X: “Targeting residential areas in Kyiv—destroying civilian trains, office buildings for the EU and UK mission councils—and innocent civilians, not soldiers or weapons.”
Both the EU and Britain summoned Russian diplomats to voice their disapproval. No casualties have been reported at the targeted sites.
Zelensky noted that the strikes also impacted a Turkish enterprise and the Azerbaijani embassy.
Leavitt indicated that Trump would comment further on the situation later.
She highlighted that Russian attacks had been lethal, and Ukrainian efforts in August significantly damaged Russian oil refineries.
“Maybe neither side is ready to call a stop to this war,” she said. “The president desires an end, but the leadership on both sides needs and wants it too.”
The strikes came less than two weeks after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska, an attempt he hoped would promote peace.
Zelensky tweeted: “Russia chooses missile fire over negotiations. It continues to kill instead of ending the war,” calling for new sanctions on Russia.
Russia claims its operations targeted military and industrial facilities, as well as airbases, and states that Ukraine has also attacked Russian targets. Moscow continues to insist it is open to peace talks.
Russian authorities deny intentionally targeting civilians, yet Ukrainian officials report numerous civilian deaths due to Russian strikes in densely populated areas over recent months, totaling thousands since the invasion began.
During the Kyiv attack, explosions echoed through the night sky amid rising smoke, with drones buzzing overhead.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described it as among the most significant recent strikes on the city. Nearly 63 people were wounded during the hours-long attack, which damaged buildings across all districts.
Across Ukraine, military reports indicate Russian strikes hit 13 locations, including energy infrastructure, resulting in electricity outages.
Despite Trump’s recent meetings with Putin and Zelensky aimed at fostering peace, efforts to end the invasion have seen limited success.
Russia has intensified airstrikes on cities deep behind front lines and launched a relentless offensive in the east to pressure Ukraine into surrendering territory.
EU President Ursula von der Leyen called the attacks “another grim reminder” of what’s at stake, emphasizing that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorize Ukraine and even target European Union territory.
She mentioned two missiles hit near the EU office within 20 seconds of each other.
EU nations are preparing a 19th round of sanctions and exploring ways to utilize frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine.
Zelensky tweeted after a discussion with von der Leyen: “We are working on security guarantees for Ukraine, which will be formalized next week,” including talks with Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, noting it damaged the British Council building and accusing Putin of killing children and civilians, undermining hopes for peace.
Ukraine’s military reported that its defenses shot down 563 out of nearly 600 drones and 26 out of 31 missiles launched by Russia across the country.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated its air defenses destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight in at least seven regions.
Ukraine’s drone units claimed responsibility for hitting the Afipsky and Kuybyshevskyi oil refineries during this recent wave of attacks.
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