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UK summons Russian ambassador over British Council missile damage in Kyiv UK and EU summon Russian envoys after Kyiv offices damaged in strikes
(about 2 hours later)
Incident marks the first time British government property has been caught up in Moscow’s war with Ukraine Overnight strikes kill 18 and severely damage offices including those housing EU delegation and British Council
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The Foreign Office has summoned the Russian ambassador after missile strikes on Kyiv killed at least 17 people and damaged the city’s British Council office. The UK and European Union have summoned their Russian envoys after overnight missile strikes on Kyiv killed at least 18 people and damaged the city’s British Council and EU offices.
The ambassador, Andrey Kelin, was summoned at 1pm in London, in direct response to the severe damage inflicted on the building, government sources said. Four children are among the 17 reported dead after a residential building was struck in the middle of the night within the eastern Darnytskyi district, according to Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko.
The incident marks the first time British government property has been caught up in a Russian attack. Hours later, another person was killed in a separate blast in Kyiv’s central Shevchenkivskyi district, which left the buildings and offices – including those housing the EU delegation to Ukraine and the British Council – severely damaged.
Ukraine’s air force said the nation had been targeted with 629 missiles and drones overnight, one of the biggest aerial attacks mounted by Russia.
The Foreign Office in London summoned Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, at 1pm, in direct response to the severe damage inflicted on the building, government sources said.
The incident marks the first time British government property has been caught up in a Russian attack since the full scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Putin’s strikes last night killed civilians, destroyed homes and damaged buildings, including the British Council and EU Delegation in Kyiv,” the foreign secretary, David Lammy, posted on X.“Putin’s strikes last night killed civilians, destroyed homes and damaged buildings, including the British Council and EU Delegation in Kyiv,” the foreign secretary, David Lammy, posted on X.
“We have summoned the Russian Ambassador. The killing and destruction must stop.”“We have summoned the Russian Ambassador. The killing and destruction must stop.”
The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has condemned the attacks as “senseless” and accused Russia of “sabotaging hopes of peace”. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, condemned the attacks as “senseless” and accused Russia of “sabotaging hopes of peace”.
While the British Council’s offices suffered significant damage, they are not believed to have been directly hit by Russian strikes, but struck by shrapnel. A guard who waws injured is “shaken but stable”, Scott McDonald, the British Council chief executive said on X. Photos circulated by the British Council showed the building with its windows and entrance smashed open and surrounded by glass and debris. Separate pictures released by the commission showed wrecked office interiors with collapsed ceiling panels and shattered glass doors and windows.
It posted a picture showing the building with its windows and entrance smashed open and surrounded by glass and debris. While the British Council’s offices suffered significant damage, they are not believed to have been directly hit by Russian strikes, but struck by shrapnel. A guard who was injured is “shaken but stable”, Scott McDonald, the British Council chief executive, said on X.
Meanwhile the European Union summoned Russia’s envoy in Brussels, in response to the deadly Russian missile strikes on Kyiv that also hit the EU’s office. The offices of the EU delegation were “severely damaged by the shock wave” from the blast, Katarína Mathernová, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said.
The two offices are in the same block. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the onslaught showed that Russia had no intention of negotiating an end to the war. “These Russian missiles and attack drones today are a clear response to everyone in the world who, for weeks and months, has been calling for a ceasefire and for real diplomacy,” the president said on social media. “Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table.”
The commission said no EU staff were hurt and condemend the attacks. Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief said on X: “The overnight attack on Kyiv shows a deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts.” The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said in a statement the strikes “shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians – men, women and children and even targeting the European Union”.
“No diplomatic mission should ever be a target should ever be a target,” Kallas said in a separate post, after a video call with EU staff in Kyiv. Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, said on X: “The overnight attack on Kyiv shows a deliberate choice to escalate and mock the peace efforts.”
Four children are among the 15 people confirmed dead so far, according to Kyiv’s administration, with the numbers expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search for people trapped under the rubble. In a separate post, she added: “No diplomatic mission should ever be a target.”
The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, said she was outraged by the attack on Kyiv that had also hit the EU office. She said in a statement it “shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians – men, women and children and even targeting the European Union.” EU officials said two missiles landed within 50 metres of the building within 20 seconds.
Pictures released by the commission showed wrecked office interiors with collapsed ceiling panels and shattered glass doors and windows. EU officials said two missiles landed within 50 metres of the building within 20 seconds. In an expression of sharp diplomatic rebuke, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Brussels was summoned to the commission. Russia’s defence ministry said it carried out a strike against military airbases and companies “within Ukraine’s military-industrial complex” using long-range weapons.
Russia’s defence ministry said it carried out a strike against military air bases and companies “within Ukraine’s military-industrial complex”, using long-range weapons. The Kremlin said on Thursday it was “still interested” in diplomacy but would continue to launch strikes on Ukraine.
Starmer said on X: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the senseless Russian strikes on Kyiv which have damaged the British Council building.Starmer said on X: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the senseless Russian strikes on Kyiv which have damaged the British Council building.
“Putin is killing children and civilians, and sabotaging hopes of peace. This bloodshed must end.”“Putin is killing children and civilians, and sabotaging hopes of peace. This bloodshed must end.”
The British Council’s offices are seen as a representation of Britain’s soft power in Ukraine. For the last 30 years the organisation has worked as a bridge between London and Kyiv, offering academic links, arts programmes and English courses.The British Council’s offices are seen as a representation of Britain’s soft power in Ukraine. For the last 30 years the organisation has worked as a bridge between London and Kyiv, offering academic links, arts programmes and English courses.
A spokesperson for the British Council said: “Following last night’s attack, our British Council office in Kyiv has been severely damaged and will remain closed to the public until further notice.A spokesperson for the British Council said: “Following last night’s attack, our British Council office in Kyiv has been severely damaged and will remain closed to the public until further notice.
“Thankfully, our colleagues are all safe and our work with our Ukrainian partners in education and culture will continue uninterrupted.”“Thankfully, our colleagues are all safe and our work with our Ukrainian partners in education and culture will continue uninterrupted.”
It comes as US president Donald Trump hoped to set a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, after he met Putin in Alaska two weeks ago, and Zelensky days later in Washington. The US president, Donald Trump, has been hoping to set a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy after he met Putin in Alaska two weeks ago and Zelenskyy days later in Washington.
Downing Street said earlier this week that Putin was stalling progress and accused him of being “disrespectful” to the peace process in his war with Ukraine. Last week, the Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty unveiled sanctions against eight organisations and individuals to “keep the pressure on” Putin, who he claimed was exploiting “dodgy crypto networks”.
Since the Trump’s meetings with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, Russia has said there are no plans between Putin and Zelensky. Russia in return sanctioned 21 individuals including the former MP Denis MacShane, several journalists and the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall.
Last week the foreign office minister Stephen Doughty unveiled sanctions against eight organisations and individuals to “keep the pressure on” Putin who he claimed was exploiting “dodgy crypto networks”. Von der Leyen has said the European Commission would soon propose a further package of “hard-biting sanctions” against Russia, the 19th since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Russia in return sanctioned 21 individuals including the former MP Denis MacShane, several journalists and the goverenment’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Jonathan Hall.
Von der Leyen has said the European Commission would msoon propose a further package of “hard-biting sanctions” against Russia, the 19th since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. She also said the commission was “advancing the work on the Russian frozen assets to contribute to Ukraine’s defence reconstruction”.