Ukraine’s main government building in Kyiv has been hit for the first time during the war after Russian attacks, the Ukrainian prime minister says.
Yulia Svyrydenko said the government building’s roof and upper floors were damaged “due to an enemy attack” and firefighters were working to extinguish the fire.
At least two people, including a one-year-old child, were killed and more than a dozen injured in the overnight barrage, which also damaged several residential buildings, local authorities said.
The government building, also known as the cabinet of ministers building, houses the offices of Ukraine’s main ministers.
Early on Sunday morning, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford and team saw a large column of smoke rising into the sky from just behind the Maidan, Independence Square.
They then heard and saw two Russian cruise missiles moving at very high speed, before another explosion.
Ukraine’s air force reported that a record number of drones and missiles were launched by Russia in the latest nightly attack – more than 800 in total.
According to the air force, nine missiles and 56 drones hit 37 locations, and the downed wreckage fell at eight locations.
Svyrydenko called for tougher sanctions on Russia and stepped-up weapons deliveries.
Russia also attacked Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown in central Ukraine, where three infrastructure facilities were hit. Air raid warnings were activated overnight for all of the country’s regions.
Kyiv officials said several multi-storey residential buildings in the western Svyatoshynkyi and south-eastern Darnytskyi districts were partially destroyed and continued to be ablaze after direct hits.
“The Russians are deliberately hitting civilian facilities,” Tkachenko said, urging residents to remain in shelters.
Shortly afterwards, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said a government building was on fire in the central Pecherskyi district. He said a downed Russian drone likely caused the blaze.
“Firefighters are working on the scene,” the mayor added.
Russia has not commented on the reported drone strikes across Ukraine.
In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said its air defence forces shot down or intercepted 69 Ukrainian drones in a number of Russian regions.
Earlier this week, Putin rejected Western proposals for a “reassurance force” in Ukraine the day after any ceasefire comes into place, following a Paris summit aimed at finalising plans for security guarantees.
French President Emmanuel Macron said 26 of Ukraine’s allies had formally committed to deploying troops “by land, sea or air” to help provide security the moment fighting was brought to a halt. He gave no further details.
Putin sought to quash the allies’ initiative, warning that any troops deployed to Ukraine would be “legitimate targets”.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory – including the southern Crimea peninsula illegally annexed in 2014.
