Soon on the heels of the successful 3-day and US-backed 'V-Day' ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, Russian forces have unleashed several days of drone and missile barrages on Ukrainian cities, especially the capital. It seems the Kremlin is bent on 'payback' for several weeks of effective Ukrainian long-range drone attacks which have badly damaged several Russian oil refineries and energy sites.
BBC reports Thursday that "At least seven people have been killed, including a 12-year-old girl, in Kyiv after Russia launched a massive wave of drone and missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital and other regions, officials have said."
The death toll is expected to rise given bodies are still being pulled from under the rubble of a destroyed apartment building in Kiev, while local emergency agencies say at least 20 people are feared missing. Dozens more were wounded in the attack, with at least 21 initially being transported to the hospital.
Thursday marks the third day in a row Ukraine has witnessed deaths from the now unrelenting drone attacks, which followed the last day of the ceasefire, which expired on Monday.
President Zelensky later announced that the military tallied that Russia sent more than 670 drones and 56 missiles targeting the country overnight. This ranks it as among the largest aerial assaults since the war started in 2022.
Zelensky stated that the strikes hit at least 180 sites across Ukraine, including over 50 residential buildings, but also claimed an "overall interception rate" of 93%.
He additionally added a 48-hour tally: "In total, since midnight yesterday, Russia has used more than 1,560 drones against our cities and communities," he said on X.
"These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end," he added, referring to Putin's Saturday speech wherein he hinted a the 'end' of the special military operation ending.
This week's strikes have been particularly devastating against large civilian neighborhoods. According to an Associated Press description:
As dawn broke on a clear day in Kyiv, a scene of devastation came into focus in the capital’s leafy Darnytsia neighborhood, located between a suburban forest and the Dnieper River. Wisps of smoke rose from the collapsed nine-story apartment block, where emergency workers dug under concrete slabs and took people away on stretchers. The building’s entrance was smashed in the strike, preventing residents from escaping.
All 18 apartments in the building were destroyed, officials said. Among the dead was a 12-year-old girl, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Zelenskyy said seven people were killed, with at least 20 people believed to be missing.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha in the latest overnight attack aftermath took to X to appeal to world leaders: "At the very time when leaders of the most powerful countries are meeting in Beijing, and the world hopes for peace, predictability and cooperation, Putin launched hundreds of drones, ballistic and cruise missiles at the capital of Ukraine," he wrote.
Speaking of Putin, he added: "Only pressure on Moscow can make him stop." However, it seems White House attention has been absorbed in the Iran war and ongoing Hormuz blockade standoff, and the impact on global energy.
While Presidents Trump and Xi are expected to dialogue on finding a way toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, most attention has been paid so far to what's next in the Persian Gulf. The question of Ukraine peace has taken a back seat for much of the past year.