Video footage from security cameras in Kyiv, released by the Telegraph on 28/8, shows two Russian missiles hitting an area near the British Council building on Zhylyanska Street within 20 seconds early that morning.

British media reported that the missiles struck close to the building, causing substantial damage. The shockwaves from the explosions also damaged the European Union (EU) mission building a few blocks away.

British Council Chief Executive Scott McDonald said a security guard was injured and is being treated at a hospital in stable condition. According to a British Council spokesperson, the office will remain closed until further notice.

The UK Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the attack. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for "sabotaging the peace process" with this attack.

While the British Council operates independently of the government, it receives funding from the Foreign Office. The Kyiv office provides English language courses and programs for Ukrainians in the capital.

Russia has previously accused British intelligence agencies of using the British Council office in Kyiv as a cover for operations in the city.

Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched over 600 missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting 13 locations early on 28/8, resulting in at least 23 deaths and over 60 injuries in Kyiv.

The damaged British Council building after the Russian attack on the morning of 28/8. Photo: Reuters

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed it conducted a coordinated attack with high-precision long-range weapons launched from aircraft, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, and UAVs targeting Ukrainian military airfields and defense industry enterprises.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov insisted that the Russian military does not target civilian infrastructure or social facilities.

This was Russia's first large-scale attack on Kyiv since President Putin met with then-US President Donald Trump in Alaska on 15/8. The White House said on 28/8 that Trump was "not happy but not surprised" by the attack on Kyiv.

Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, warned that Russian attacks on civilian targets, including the British Council in Kyiv, risked derailing peace talks.

Huyen Le (Telegraph, Independent)