AT least eight people including two children have been killed in devastating Russian air strikes in Ukraine.
A local branch of the British Council was hit after the Russian forces launched a mass attack using drones and ballistic missiles to hammer capital Kyiv – just days after Putin met Trump for peace talks.
Fire and smoke rise in the city after Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv[/caption]
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during Russian drone and missile strikes[/caption]
People stand at the site of a building housing the local branch of the British Council after it was hit during Russian missile and drone strikes[/caption]
Rescuers work at the site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile on August 28[/caption]
Smoke billowed from the crumbled column of a five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district, which suffered a direct hit.
Rescue teams were on site to pull people trapped underneath the rubble.
Moscow launched decoy drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration.
The mas attack hit nearly 100 buildings, including a shopping mall in the city centre, he said.
A local branch of the British Council was also damaged after being hit by drones and missiles.
Just weeks ago, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused British intelligence of using the British Council as cover to undermine Russia.
Thousands of windows were shattered as residents cleared glass and debris from damaged buildings.
Among the dead were two children including a 14-year-old girl, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
The numbers are expected to rise, it is feared.
The attack came as Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over stalled diplomatic efforts towards a peace deal spearheaded by Donald Trump.
Furious Volodymyr Zelensky said: “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table.
“We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace, but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions.”
Russian forces have been slowly but steadily gaining ground in Ukraine in recent months, as diplomatic efforts have accelerated.
Trump held a high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska this month in a failed attempt to convince him to agree to a ceasefire.
Rescuers work at the site of a residential building hit by a Russian missile on August 28[/caption]
Rescuers stand at the site of a building which was hit by Russian missile and drone strikes[/caption]
Aftermath of the devastating strikes[/caption]
Rescuers work at the site of a building which was hit by Russian missile and drone strikes[/caption]
The summit was followed by a meeting with Zelensky and European allies at the White House to discuss the future of Ukraine.
But there has been little progress since then.
Before concluding any peace agreement, Ukraine said it wants security guarantees from the West to deter any future Russian attacks.
Moscow has cast Kyiv’s demands as unrealistic and has raised particular objection to the notion of stationing Western peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.
Zelensky said on Wednesday that members of his administration would meet with US officials in New York on Friday.
The Ukrainian leader said he saw “very arrogant and negative signals from Moscow regarding the negotiations”, urging extra “pressure” to “force Russia to take real steps”.
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Residents sit at the site of an apartment building hit during Russian drone and missile strikes[/caption]
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during Russian drone and missile strikes[/caption]
