‘Close our sky’: Ukraine PM’s plea to allies after record attack

Ukraine’s new prime minister has issued a personal plea to allies to help “close our sky” against missiles and drones after Russia launched its biggest overnight attack of the war, targeting a key government building and killing four people.

Russia fired 13 missiles and sent 805 drones against Ukrainian targets during the record assault, killing a 32-year-old woman and her two-month-old son in Kyiv as well injuring dozens in attacks against multiple cities.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko revealed the damage in a personal video showing the effect of the bombardment and fire, in what she called the first Russian attack on a major government headquarters in the capital.

As she walked through the building, with rescue workers sorting through the wreckage, Svyrydenko stepped up the Ukraine government’s calls for more pressure on Russia so it would negotiate seriously on a peace deal.

“We call on our partners to help close our sky,” she said.

“Let’s strengthen sanctions against Russia. Let’s create the security guarantees system that will help stop the enemy.”

The scale of the overnight assault highlighted the struggle among NATO members to agree on a forceful response to Russian President Vladimir Putin after he refused to agree to a ceasefire at a summit in Alaska with American counterpart Donald Trump three weeks ago.

Putin has stalled on a peace deal since the August 15 summit and drawn complaints from Trump, who said he was disappointed with the Russian leader.

European leaders have pledged more weapons and financial help, including sending Patriot missile defence systems, while the Trump administration last week approved the delivery of 3350 missiles known as Extended-Range Attack Munitions, or ERAMs, and paid for by Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway.

At the same time, the White House has delayed further economic sanctions against Russia and the Pentagon is preparing to cut funding for some security assistance programs for European countries bordering Russia, first reported in The Financial Times last week.

A White House spokesperson confirmed the funding cut, saying Trump had ordered changes to United States foreign aid in an executive order.

“This action has been coordinated with European countries in line with the executive order and the president’s longstanding emphasis on ensuring Europe takes more responsibility for its own defence,” the spokesperson said on Friday.

Trump said he would talk to Putin “soon” and revealed plans for some European leaders to visit the US within days to discuss how to resolve the war.

“Certain European leaders are coming over to our country on Monday or Tuesday individually,” Trump told reporters after attending the US Open.

The latest attacks struck at least 10 locations in Kyiv. Direct drone hits struck a nine-story residential building in Kyiv’s Sviatoshynskyi district and a four-story residential building in Darnytskyi district.

Those killed included a mother and her three-month-old child, whose bodies were dug out of the rubble, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration.

Yuriy Ihnat, an air force spokesperson, confirmed to The Associated Press that Sunday’s attack was the largest Russian drone strike since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia launched 810 drones and 13 missiles.

Ukrainian authorities said they shot down 747 drones and four missiles. Hits from nine missiles and 54 drones were recorded at 33 locations across the country. Four people were killed and 44 wounded across the country, the government said, including the casualties in the capital.

The attacks came after European leaders convened a “coalition of the willing” meeting last Thursday that gained pledges from 26 countries to deploy land, sea and air forces to enforce a ceasefire across Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined the talks online but has not said whether Australia would commit any military forces to the proposal, although he has said in the past that he is willing to consider options.

Without a peace deal, however, the “coalition of the willing” remains a potential exercise and European leaders are sending more military hardware, not personnel, to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack and said the EU would stand fully behind Ukraine.

“Once again, the Kremlin is mocking diplomacy, trampling international law and killing indiscriminately,” she said. “We are reinforcing Ukraine’s armed forces, building lasting security guarantees, and tightening sanctions to increase pressure on Russia.”

The EU is working on a further round of sanctions against Russia, while also urging Trump to toughen his measures against Putin.

The Russian assault also drew condemnation from British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union until the end of this year.

“Russia’s devastating attack, including on Ukraine’s cabinet building, is yet another statement from Moscow against negotiations and against peace,” Frederiksen said.

“We will push for harder sanctions and accelerate weapons deliveries to strengthen Ukraine’s defence.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked European leaders for their social media posts condemning the record assault.

While most major European leaders issued statements online, Trump had not done so by the deadline for this article, although he posted about the US Open tennis championships and his plans to halt wind farm projects.

With Reuters, AP

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