🚨 UK summons Russian ambassador after missile attacks in Kyiv damaged the British Council. Tensions escalate as diplomatic channels are put to the test. #UK #Russia #Diplomacy #Kyiv https://t.co/ZUrClbC5sJ
The U.K. Foreign Ministry has summoned the Russian Ambassador following last night’s ballistic missile attack against the British Council Building in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “sabotaging peace” in https://t.co/73W0r76MzP
The building housing the British Council was “severely damaged” forcing closure after Russian missile attack on Kyiv today. UK PM Keir Starmer condemned Putin for “sabotaging hopes of peace.” Nearby EU offices were also damaged. https://t.co/ymxMhzlCGH
Russia launched a large-scale barrage of drones and ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight, inflicting heavy damage on several civilian sites. Ukrainian authorities said at least 10 people were killed and 30 injured in the strikes. One missile severely damaged a building that houses the European Union’s delegation. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said the premises were hit by the shock wave but confirmed that all staff were safe. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of deliberately targeting diplomatic facilities in violation of the Vienna Convention, a claim echoed by EU foreign-affairs chief Kaja Kallas, who called the attack a “deliberate choice to escalate.” A nearby blast also wrecked the British Council’s Kyiv office. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned President Vladimir Putin for “sabotaging peace” and ordered the Foreign Ministry to summon the Russian ambassador in London. The EU said it would summon Russia’s envoy in Brussels as well. The strikes came hours before EU defence ministers met in Copenhagen to discuss additional sanctions and military support for Ukraine. The incidents underline the heightened risks to diplomatic missions as efforts to broker a settlement between Kyiv and Moscow stall.