‘Russia not choosing to end war’: 14 killed in Kyiv, Zelenskyy calls for ‘new, strong sanctions’ on Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least 14 people including three children were killed in overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv, describing the assault as a “horrific and deliberate killing of civilians.”

He said dozens of residential buildings, office centres, and civilian enterprises were damaged in the attack including the premises housing the European Union Delegation to Ukraine.

“The Russians are not choosing to end the war, only new strikes,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, stressing that Moscow has consistently spurned ceasefire efforts and avoided negotiations.

Calling for urgent international action, he urged allies to impose tougher measures against Moscow. “It is crucial now that the world responds firmly. Russia must stop this war it started and continues. For the spurning of ceasefire and for the constant Russian attempts to weasel out of negotiations, new strong sanctions are needed. Only this can work. The Russians understand only strength and pressure. For every strike, Moscow must feel the consequences,” Zelenskyy said.

As of now, already 14 people are known to have been killed as a result of the Russian attack, including 3 children. A horrific and deliberate killing of civilians.

The Russians are not choosing to end the war, only new strikes. Overnight in Kyiv, dozens of buildings were… https://t.co/KRofKo2jZm

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 28, 2025

EU summons Russian envoy after Russian strike

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday summoned Moscow’s envoy in Brussels after a Russian strike damaged the bloc’s diplomatic mission in Kyiv.

“No diplomatic mission should ever be a target. In response, we are summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels,” Kallas wrote on X.

‘Still interested’ in peace’: Russia

Russia on Thursday insisted it was “still interested” in diplomacy, but would continue to launch strikes on Ukraine following an overnight attack on Kyiv that killed at least 14 people.

“The Russian armed forces are fulfilling their tasks,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in response to a question by AFP. “They continue to strike military and military-adjacent infrastructure facilities.

“At the same time, Russia remains interested in continuing the negotiation process. The aim is to achieve our goals through political and diplomatic means,” he added.

Diplomatic efforts to reach peace have stalled

Thursday’s attack is the first major combined Russian mass drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv since US President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

While a diplomatic push to end the war appeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details have emerged about the next steps.

Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine. This week, Ukrainian military leaders conceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground.

Zelenskyy hopes for harsher US sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Putin does not demonstrate seriousness about ending the war. He reiterated those demands following Thursday’s attack.

“All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump bristled this week at Putin’s stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy. Trump said Friday he expects to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren’t scheduled.

With inputs from agencies