Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Says Russia Chose ‘Terror’ Over Peace After Kyiv Strike
AI Analysis
Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv and Ukrainian railway infrastructure while international leaders met in Beijing, resulting in civilian casualties and significant damage. The attack targeted residential areas and railway facilities, disrupting transportation networks. Ukraine is appealing for international pressure on Russia to end the conflict.
Key Takeaways
- Russia employed a combined arms attack utilizing drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles.
- Ukrainian railway infrastructure sustained 23 hits, causing damage to locomotives, cars, substations, and bridges.
- Civilian casualties included deaths in Kyiv and Zdolbuniv, with 17 injured in Kyiv alone.
- Ukraine halted train operations and evacuated passengers in anticipation of the railway attacks, preventing further passenger casualties.
- The timing of the attack coincided with a major international summit in Beijing, highlighting Russia's disregard for diplomatic efforts.
Why It Matters
This attack demonstrates Russia’s continued reliance on indiscriminate strikes against civilian infrastructure, likely aiming to degrade Ukraine’s logistical capabilities and morale. The targeting of railways is a strategic attempt to disrupt supply lines and hinder Ukraine’s ability to receive aid and reinforce defenses. The attack’s timing suggests a deliberate attempt to signal defiance and undermine international diplomatic initiatives.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Russia’s latest large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine, saying the barrage of drones and missiles launched at Kyiv while world leaders gathered in Beijing demonstrated that Moscow remains “a global threat to international security.”
“Right at the time when the leaders of the most powerful countries meet 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,” Sybiha said in a statement posted on social media.
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Putin’s forces launched a massive overnight attack on residential areas of Kyiv, killing civilians and injuring more than 10 people.A high-rise apartment block was struck, causing an entire section of the building to collapse.Emergency crews are continuing to search for… pic.twitter.com/FgY65JWkVJ
According to Sybiha, the attack damaged entire residential blocks in Kyiv, killing and injuring civilians. He added that other Ukrainian cities and communities also came under Russian strikes.
Calling the assault “barbaric,” Sybiha said the timing of the attack during a major international summit underscored Moscow’s continued pursuit of “aggression and terror” instead of peace and development.
Sybiha said Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted the war to continue “in order to prolong his control and rule over Russia,” adding that “only pressure on Moscow can force him to stop.”
The number of civilians injured in Kyiv following Russia’s missile and drone attack has risen to 17:In the Darnytskyi district, rescuers evacuated 27 people, while search operations continue under the rubble of a destroyed apartment building.https://t.co/OmWb5T2HF5 pic.twitter.com/OIKSeNj8Zg
Ukraine’s top diplomat also said he believed the leaders of the United States and China had enough leverage over Moscow to push Putin toward ending the war, describing such a step as “the greatest positive development.”
In the early morning of Thursday, May 14, a major Russian missile and drone attack damaged a residential building in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, causing part of it to collapse. Officials said people may have been trapped under the rubble, while Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (DSNS) later reported that rescuers had pulled 10 people from the debris.
On Wednesday, Russia also launched a massive drone assault targeting Ukraine’s railway network, with 23 strikes recorded on infrastructure as part of a broader attack involving hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Ukrainian officials said.
Presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said trains were halted and passengers evacuated in advance, preventing casualties among travelers.
“As a result of the attack, we have 23 hits on railway facilities. No injuries/deaths of passengers were [sustained]. The trains were stopped by the monitoring team, evacuated ahead of time,” Lytvyn said.
However, civilians were killed in a related incident. According to Lytvyn, two railway workers who were off duty died in the city of Zdolbuniv in western Ukraine’s Rivne region, while another person was injured.
The strikes caused extensive damage to infrastructure, including three locomotives, seven suburban cars, eight freight wagons, five traction substations, five depots, and two bridges, he said.
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