KYIV, UKRAINE — Russia unleashed one of its largest air assaults in weeks overnight, striking multiple Ukrainian cities and, for the first time, hitting a key government building in the heart of Kyiv.

Air raid sirens echoed from dusk until dawn as drones and missiles targeted Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Odesa, and other urban centers. Ukrainian officials reported at least two fatalities — a young woman and an infant — amid widespread destruction.

In the capital, smoke rose above Maidan Square after a strike set fire to the Cabinet of Ministers building, located near Ukraine’s parliament. The attack marked a rare and symbolic hit on government infrastructure in central Kyiv, intensifying concerns about Russia’s expanding campaign.

Emergency crews battled fires and cleared debris as authorities assessed the damage. Ukraine’s leadership vowed to respond, while international allies condemned the strikes as another escalation in Moscow’s war strategy.