Russian forces struck the Turkish Bayraktar drone manufacturing facility in Kyiv during the night of 28 August, marking the fourth attack on the plant in six months, according to Igor Zinkevich, co-founder of the NGO Varta-1 and Lviv City Council deputy.

“Two hits were recorded, and the production facilities were seriously damaged,” Zinkevich said. Baykar Makina company confirmed the information to Ukrainian media outlet Oborontsi.

The extent of the damage remains unknown, but the strike has dealt a significant blow to production capabilities that were nearing completion.

“Despite previous attacks, the company continued investing tens of millions of its own funds, training personnel and preparing production. Most capacities were almost ready, the main personnel had completed training,” Zinkevich said.

The Turkish manufacturer of Bayraktar TB2 UAVs planned to establish the Ukrainian facility in 2022, with construction launched in early 2024 and expected completion by August 2025. The plant had not yet gone live, but most of the production facilities had already been prepared.

The attack occurred during a massive Russian assault on Kyiv Oblast, where Ukrainian forces shot down 70 Russian drones, setting a record for drone interceptor usage.

US Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg has described Russia’s overnight assault on Kyiv as one of the largest since the invasion began, warning that such strikes undermine peace efforts.

Trump’s envoy said Russia conducted the second-largest bombardment of Kyiv since the full-scale invasion started, deploying over 600 drones and 31 missiles against the Ukrainian capital.

“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 @POTUS is pursuing,” Kellogg wrote.

The 28 August overnight strike saw Russian forces launch 629 air attack weapons across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian officials. Direct hits were recorded at 13 locations, with debris falling at 26 additional sites.

In Kyiv, at least 18 people died in the attack, including four children. The city declared 29 August a day of mourning.

The bombardment targeted civilian infrastructure rather than military installations, hitting residential buildings, transportation networks, and diplomatic facilities. European Union and British mission offices were among the structures damaged in the assault.

Multiple European nations condemned the Russian bombardment, while the European Union and Britain announced they would summon Russian diplomatic representatives for official protests.

The attack represents a significant escalation in Russia’s targeting of civilian areas in the Ukrainian capital, with Kellogg’s assessment marking it as the second-most intensive assault on Kyiv since February 2022.

Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg blasted Russia’s assault on Kyiv, as the death toll climbed to 19 in one of the war’s deadliest strikes.

“These outrageous attacks threaten the peace that President Trump seeks,” Kellogg wrote on X after Moscow unleashed nearly 600 drones and 31 missiles overnight.

Peace talks on the brink

The strike comes as diplomacy falters. Earlier this month, Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin ended without agreement, and a planned Zelenskyy–Putin meeting remains stalled. Kellogg warned that the Kremlin’s escalation proves Russia is still choosing the battlefield over the negotiating table.

A city under fire

In Darnytskyi district, a five-story apartment building was directly struck by multiple Russian missiles, collapsing from the ground floor up. At least 19 people—including four children—were killed, and fears remain that more are trapped beneath the rubble.

Russia launched a massive aerial strike on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities far from the front lines on the morning of 28 August, 2025.

At least 18 people have been killed in Kyiv, with another 38 injured as of this report.

Four children are among the dead, including three aged… pic.twitter.com/mKGrZRgGNE

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 28, 2025

Symbols in the crosshairs

The barrage also damaged symbols of diplomacy and industry, including the EU mission, the British Council, and the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty offices.

According to Ihor Zinkevych, a deputy of the Lviv City Council, one of Russia’s targets was a Bayraktar drone plant near Kyiv, designed to produce Turkish TB2 and Akıncı drones. Zinkevych said two missiles struck the facility, causing millions of dollars in damage. Turkish media confirmed the strike, noting it was already the fourth attack on the plant in six months.

Mourning and fallout

Kyiv declared 29 August a day of mourning, lowering flags and canceling events. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy demanded tougher sanctions, saying:

“All deadlines are broken, dozens of diplomatic opportunities wasted. Russia must feel its responsibility for every strike, every day of this war.”

Western leaders echoed outrage: the UK summoned the Russian ambassador, while EU officials vowed new penalties.

Right now in Kyiv, first responders are clearing the rubble of an ordinary residential building after a Russian strike. Another massive attack against our cities and communities. Killings again. Tragically, at least 8 people have already been confirmed dead. One of them is a… pic.twitter.com/aukkujC9ji

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 28, 2025

Key takeaways

• 19 killed, including four children, in one of the war’s deadliest strikes.
• Alaska peace summit failed; Zelenskyy–Putin talks remain stalled.
• EU and British offices hit, Bayraktar drone plant damaged again.