Russia denies targeting Ukrainian government building

Russian forces have carried out a long-range strike on Ukrainian drone assembly facilities, as well as an industrial enterprise in Kiev, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said, adding that no other buildings were targeted. Ukraine earlier accused Russia of striking the building housing the Cabinet of Ministers in Kiev.

In a statement on Sunday, the ministry said the massive high-precision strike was aimed at facilities producing, repairing, and storing UAVs, as well as military airfields in the central, southern, and eastern parts of Ukraine.

Also targeted were the industrial enterprise ‘Kiev-67’ on the western outskirts of the Ukrainian capital and a logistics facility in the southern part of the city. 

“The objectives of the strike have been achieved, all designated targets have been hit. No strikes have been carried out on other sites within the boundaries of Kiev,” the ministry stressed.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian officials claimed that a Russian drone had crashed into the Ukrainian government building near Independence Square, with fire engulfing its top floors. They also claimed that the attack included more than 800 drones in total across the country.

According to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, four people died and 44 were injured in the attacks.

Russia has conducted drone and missile strikes on Ukraine for months, targeting military-related facilities and its defense industry. It has said the attacks are retaliation for Kiev’s strikes deep into Russia, which often damage residential areas and critical infrastructure. Moscow maintains that it never targets civilians.

Russian officials have also accused Ukraine of deploying air defenses in residential areas, suggesting that if Kiev were to abandon this practice, it could have prevented casualties.