Massive air assault on the administrative center of Ukraine's government marks the largest attack under the ongoing war

In the heart of Kiev, the seat of the Ukrainian government, tragedy struck as Russia launched its biggest-ever aerial barrage early Sunday morning. The attack, which included drone strikes and missiles, set the cabinet of ministers ablaze, marking the first such strike of the three-and-a-half year war.

At least two people lost their lives in the attack, with a separate strike on a nine-story residential building in the west of Kiev claiming the life of a mother and her two-month-old son. Ukraine's rescue service posted photos showing the building in flames with smoke billowing from its facade, and police cordoned off the area surrounding the building.

A guided bomb attack on the southern Zaporizhzhia region also claimed the lives of a married couple. The conflict, which has been raging since 2014, has forced millions from their homes and destroyed much of eastern and southern Ukraine, making it Europe's bloodiest since World War II.

Tens of thousands have been killed in the conflict, and the latest barrage saw Russia fire at least 805 drones and 13 missiles at Ukraine between late Sept. 6 and early yesterday, setting a new record.

In response to the escalating violence, more than two dozen European countries have pledged to patrol any agreement to end the war. Some of these countries are willing to deploy troops on the ground, with ten countries, including France, the United Kingdom, and Poland, promising to send troops to Ukraine as part of security guarantees aimed at supporting a possible peace process and deterring further Russian aggression.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said emergency services were working across the country, and Kiev says security guarantees, backed by Western troops, are crucial to any peace deal to ensure Russia does not invade again in the future. However, efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war have so far yielded little progress.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said any Western forces in Ukraine are unacceptable and would be "legitimate" targets. The conflict has seen Russia occupy around 20 percent of Ukraine, with more than a dozen others wounded in Kiev due to the attack.

As the world watches, the people of Ukraine continue to suffer, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the conflict that has torn their country apart.

Massive air assault on the administrative center of Ukraine's government marks the largest attack under the ongoing war