An apartment building damaged by Russian attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine, August 28, 2025 (Reuters)

EA on Ukraine’s War and Politics 24: Can Russia’s Invasion Be Broken?

Wednesday’s Coverage: US Offers Intelligence and Air Support to European Peacekeepers

UPDATE 2144 GMT:

The toll has risen to 21 killed and 38 injured from the Russian attacks on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv early Thursday.

UPDATE 1631 GMT:

Donald Trump’s envoy to Russia, real estate developer Steve Witkoff misunderstood Vladimir Putin’s ultimatum for Ukraine to surrender territory as a “land swap”, US and European officials have confirmed.

Witkoff met with Putin on August 6, two days before Donald Trump gave a red-carpet welcome to the Russian leader in Alaska. His failure of comprehensive led Trump to proclaim that the summit would discuss the swapping of areas between Ukraine and Russia.

In fact, Putin not only maintained his demand for Russia’s annexation of all areas it has seized, but also for Ukraine to hand over the rest of the Dontesk region in the east of the country.

A day after seeing Putin, Witkoff had a call with several European leaders. The US and European officials said participants were caught off guard and “startled”.

The following day, hours before Trump hosted Putin, Witkoff reversed his position in a call organized by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with European national security advisors. He said Putin was not offering to withdraw from any part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Witkoff went to the Kremlin meeting with Putin without State Department notetaker, breaking protocol and having no record of Putin’s proposals.

UPDATE 1616 GMT:

Donald Trump’s envoy Keith Kellogg has responded to the Russian attacks:

The targets? Not soldiers and weapons but residential areas in Kyiv—blasting civilian trains, the EU & British mission council offices, and innocent civilians.

These egregious attacks threaten the peace that [Donald Trump] is pursuing.

Trump has not reacted publicly after his call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Giorgia Meloni has posted:

The intense attacks on Kyiv this night demonstrate who stands on the side of peace and who has no intention of believing in the negotiating path.

Our thoughts go to the Ukrainian people, to civilians, to the families of defenseless victims, including children, of the senseless Russian attacks.

UPDATE 1609 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted after his conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (see 1354 GMT):

We discussed our diplomatic efforts to stop the killings, to end this unprovoked Russian aggression, and to guarantee real security for our people. There is much work being done at various levels precisely for this purpose. But until Russia takes real steps toward peace, the pressure on it must be intensified. Ursula shared updates on the preparation of the 19th EU sanctions package and coordination with other partners.

The leaders also discussed Kyiv’s path to accession to the European Union with the “simultaneous opening of the negotiating cluster for Ukraine and Moldova”.

UPDATE 1354 GMT:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has posted after calls with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump:

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented:

Russia showed its true face again last night. We condemn the severe attacks against the civilian population in the strongest terms.

The fact that the EU representation has now also come under fire testifies to the growing ruthlessness of the Russian regime.

Footage from a resident of Russian missiles striking the residential building where at least 17 civilians were murdered, including four children.

UPDATE 1325 GMT:

Svitlana Vodolaha, a spokeswoman for the Ukraine state rescue service, has told The Guardian, that 17 people, including four children, were killed in a Kyiv residential block.

Eleven were injured and 10 are unaccounted for.

Around 200 rescuers and 59 rescue vehicles are expected to work through the night.

Christopher Miller of the Financial Times posted video of the strike by two missiles:

UPDATE 1139 GMT:

The European Union has summoned Russia’s envoy in Brussels over the attacks on Kyiv, which included damage to offices of the EU’s delegation and the British Council.

The UK Foreign Office has summoned the Russian Ambassador in London.

The British Council in Kyiv has confirmed that a guard was injured by the Russian strike.

UPDATE 1118 GMT:

Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko commented this morning on the Russia attacks on Kyiv:

UPDATE 1026 GMT:

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) is asking the Kremlin for arrangements to compensate its members for losses from attacks by Ukrainian drones.

The union’s head Alexander Shokhin wrote to Vladimir Putin of the oil refineries, metallurgical and chemical enterprises, and power engineering facilities facing regular strikes.

The RSPP is asking for tax compensation for costs of construction or acquisition of protective structures, video surveillance, and electronic warfare systems, and for restoration of production capacities.

UPDATE 0959 GMT:

Ukraine has hit a Russian warship and two oil refineries in overnight attacks.

The Ukraine intelligence service HUR said a drone struck the Russian carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles in the Sea of Azov near occupied Crimea.

In addition to the strike on the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in Russia’s Samara region (see 0455 GMT), drones targeted the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar Krai in southwest Russia.

Ukraine also fired on ammunition depots and several logistical facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied territories.

A “massive drone attack” hit transport and logistical facilities in the Volgograd region, Governor Andrey Bocharov confirmed.

UPDATE 0940 GMT:

More European leaders are condemning Russia’s deadly attacks across Ukraine, including on the capital Kyiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron posted:

Missiles hit a residential building in Kyiv:

European Union foreign policy head Kaja Kallas derided the Kremlin’s “deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts: “While the world seeks a path to peace, Russia responds with missiles.”

UPDATE 0835 GMT:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says staff of the European delegation in Kyiv are safe after the overnight Russian attack hit their building.

Another night of Russia’s relentless bombings struck civilian infrastructure and killed innocents….

Russia must stop its indiscriminatory attacks on civilian infrastructure immediately and join negotiations for a just and lasting peace.

European Council president António Costa condemned the “deliberate” attack.

Saying he was “horrified” by the overnight strikes, he assured, “The EU will not be intimidated. Russia’s aggression only strengthens our resolve to stand with Ukraine and its people.”

UPDATE 0810 GMT:

The toll has risen to at least 15 murdered, including three children aged 2, 14, and 17, and 38 injured from Russia’s overnight attacks on Kyiv.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted:

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.

The offices of the British Council of the European Union delegation have been damaged. The EU’s enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, said:

I strongly condemn these brutal attacks, a clear sign that Russia rejects peace & chooses terror. Our full solidarity goes to EU staff, their families, & all Ukrainians enduring this aggression.

UPDATE 0643 GMT:

The toll has risen to at least 10 murdered, including a 14-year-old, and 48 injured from Russia’s overnight attacks across Ukraine.

Air defenses intercepted 563 of 598 drones and 26 of 31 missiles.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted:

Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table. It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war.

And this means that Russia still does not fear the consequences. Russia still takes advantage of the fact that at least part of the world turns a blind eye to murdered children and seeks excuses for Putin.

Zelensky called for reactions from China and Hungary to the Russian attacks.

The death of children should definitely stir far greater emotions than anything else. We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions.

UPDATE 0554 GMT:

Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has lowered the forecast of GDP growth for 2025 from 2.5% to 1.5%.

Siluanov cited “rather tough conditions for the implementation of monetary and credit policy” in remarks to Vladimir Putin.

Outside analysts say growth is now close to zero as Russia faces economic strains from its 42-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina warned in June that the economy had reached “the edge of capacity”, and Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said the country was “on the verge of a transition to recession.”

UPDATE 0509 GMT:

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a meeting between Ukrainian officials and US counterparts in New York on Friday.

Donald Trump’s envoy, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, also referred to the scheduled discussion.

Zelensky’s Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak and the head of the National Security Council, Rustem Umerov, met Saudi officials in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Yermak said talks focused on Saudi Arabia’s participation in the process to end the Russian invasion.

UPDATE 0455 GMT:

Ukrainian drones have again struck the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in Russia’s Samara region, around 900 km (559 miles) from the border.

The Russian channel Astra posted photographs and video footage of a large fire early Thursday.

The complex, with a capacity of 8.3 million metric tons of oil per year, reportedly halted production in early August after damage from Ukrainian attacks.

Novokuibyshevsk, run by State-owned Rosneft, is one of 10 refineries hit this summer. Reuters reported this week that Russian output has fallen 17%, amid gasoline shortages throughout the country and rationing in some Russian and Russian-occupied areas.

Wholesale prices for Russia’s most widely used gasoline, A-95, reached a record high last week of around 82,300 roubles ($1,024) per ton, almost 54% higher than in January.

The Motorist’s Den, a Russian car channel, posted on Telegram that “it feels like petrol will soon be poured into champagne glasses rather than fuel tanks”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: At least four civilians have been murdered, including a 14-year-old, and more than 20 injured in Kyiv amid Russia’s massive overnight attacks across Ukraine.

Russia launched hypersonic missiles, using at least four MiG-31 warplanes, and multiple waves of drones.

In Kyiv, explosions were heard from 9:30 p.m. Air defenses activated again around midnight, and more blasts were heard at 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. as rescue workers were searching for victims under the rubble of buildings hit by ballistic missiles.

More than 20 locations were struck. A shopping center in the city center, homes, offices, and schools were damaged. A five-story apartment building was destroyed.

Three children aged 7, 10, and 11 are among the wounded. The extent of casualties is still being determined.

“Tonight, Kyiv is under massive attack by the Russian terrorist state,” said the head of the capital’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko.

Dozens of drones flew in swarms above Ukraine central and southern regions, including Zhytomyr, Odesa, and Mykolaiv. Aerial alerts were also issued for the far west, covering the Ternopil, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions.

Ukraine Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak posted: