Deadly Russian Airstrike Hits Kyiv Ahead of U.S. Talks; killed at least eight people

Aug 28, 2025

• A Russian missile and drone attack struck Kyiv on August 28, killing at least eight people, including a child, and injuring dozens more.
• Ukrainian officials were simultaneously traveling through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Switzerland to rally support before meetings in New York with U.S. representatives.
• President Zelenskyy appointed Olha Stefanishyna as Ukraine’s new ambassador to the United States, replacing Oksana Markarova after six years in the role.

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was hit by a “massive” Russian air strike early on August 28, causing multiple deaths, while senior Ukrainian leaders were making a diplomatic dash to drum up support ahead of talks with US officials in New York later this week.

Authorities in Kyiv reported that the Russian drone and missile strike killed at least eight people and injured dozens at several sites in the capital, as air-raid sirens blared across Ukraine early on August 28, including in the west, far from the front lines.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that at least eight people, including one child, have been confirmed dead through the Russian airstrike.

He noted that people may still be trapped under the rubble, with dozens more injured.

“Today’s Russian missiles and attack drones are a clear answer to everyone in the world who has been calling for a cease-fire and real diplomacy for weeks and months,” Zelenskyy said.

“Russia chooses ballistic missiles over the negotiating table. It chooses to continue killing rather than end the war. And this means that Russia still does not fear the consequences,” he added.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote that a “massive attack on the capital” was under way and that a five-story building had collapsed.

Journalists with AFP said explosions were heard in the capital and that about 100 people were seen taking cover in a subway station — some lying in sleeping bags and others holding on to their pets.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said he and chief delegate Rustem Umerov were in Riyadh on August 27 to meet with the Saudi defense minister and national security adviser.

Zelenskyy, speaking during his nightly video address, said the Ukrainian officials also visited Qatar on August 26 and will travel to Switzerland on August 28 before heading to New York for discussions with US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Ahead of the US meeting, Zelenskyy urged additional measures against Moscow to force it into peace talks to end the killings.

“Pressure must be applied. Russia must be forced into real steps. Russia must end the war it started and continues. There has to be an answer from them. They must be pressed to the right answer,” he said.

“Everyone working on the substance of security guarantees will be involved [in the New York talks] — the military, political, and economic component,” Zelenskyy said.

US President Donald Trump, along with Zelenskyy himself, has been pushing for direct talks between the leaders of the warring countries in an effort to strike a peace deal, but so far Putin has rejected such a meeting, and refuses to acknowledge Zelenskyy’s legitimacy as president.

New Ukrainian Ambassador

Ahead of the New York meeting, Zelenskyy announced he signed a decree appointing Olha Stefanishyna, 39, as the new ambassador to the United States. She replaces Oksana Markarova, who has served for six years.

Stefanishyna, a former justice minister, played a key role in Ukraine’s efforts to integrate into Western institutions. Zelenskyy nominated Stefanishyna last month and said she would serve as a special envoy to the United States until her candidacy as ambassador was approved in Washington.

Markarova angered members of Trump’s Republican Party when she helped organize Zelenskyy’s visit to an arms plant in the hometown of then-incumbent President Joe Biden before the US election.

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