Russia hits Kyiv in massive strike as EU envoy warns of deteriorating conditions

Kyiv has become a true frontline city as Russia intensifies its aerial attacks, the European Union ambassador to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, told Euronews. The Russian Ministry of Defence said on Monday that its forces carried out a massive strike on military-industrial facilities, drone and missile storage sites, and data centres in Kyiv and the surrounding region, France 24 reported. [1][2]

Mathernová, who has lived in Ukraine since September 2023, stated that conditions in the capital have deteriorated sharply since late August due to frequent daytime attacks, according to Euronews. She warned that the relentless strikes are increasingly disrupting daily life ahead of winter. She also said Ukraine could complete technical preparations for European Union membership by 2030. [1]

The military developments come alongside diplomatic efforts regarding the conflict. France 24 reported that United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to focus on ending the war, while denying that Washington had paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine. [2]

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Ukrainian forces prevented the capture of Kyiv in the initial phase of the war, after which main fighting transitioned to the south and east. As FTMQ News reported earlier, recent Russian strikes have hit energy infrastructure, leaving 600,000 people in Ukraine without electricity. [3][6]