Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said that appeasing Russian President Vladimir Putin “makes no sense” after Moscow launched its biggest-ever drone attack against Ukraine.
The overnight assault, which included 805 drones and 13 missiles, set ablaze the main building of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv and killed at least two people in the country’s capital, including an infant, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack “a deliberate crime and a prolongation of the war,” accusing Moscow of blocking diplomacy while appealing once again to allies to strengthen Kyiv’s air defenses.
He added that the drone and missile barrage also caused damage in the north, south, and east of the country, hitting the cities of Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Odesa, as well as the northern Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
In central Kyiv, thick smoke billowed over the historic Pecherskyi district as flames engulfed the top floor of the government headquarters. It was the first time the building had been struck since Russia’s invasion began, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Residential apartments in the capital were also hit, forcing dozens of residents wrapped in blankets into the streets as emergency crews battled the fires.
Tusk calls for tougher action
Following the strike, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged the US and Europe to take stronger action against Russia.
“The Russian attack on Kyiv’s government buildings shows again that the continued delaying of a strong reaction against Putin and the attempts to appease him makes no sense,” he wrote on X.
“The US and Europe must together force Russia to accept an immediate ceasefire. We have all the instruments,” he added.
The strike has deepened pessimism that Russia’s three-and-a-half-year war can be ended soon, with Putin continuing to reject ceasefire proposals.
US President Donald Trump has voiced frustration with Moscow since his meeting with Putin last month, but has so far resisted imposing tougher sanctions.
On Friday, he said he was still working on security guarantees for Ukraine aimed at ending what has become the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two.