Lithuania’s embassy damaged in Russian overnight missile strike on Kyiv; nine killed
Russia’s overnight attack on Kyiv damaged Lithuania’s embassy and killed nine people. Lithuanian officials and Ukraine condemned the strike and called for stronger air defenses.
Russia launched a massive missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight into Saturday, causing damage to the Lithuanian embassy. According to Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kristina Belikova, a missile landed very close to the embassy fence, shattering several windows and damaging the roof and solar panels. The embassy courtyard was littered with debris and the ground was churned up. No staff members were injured, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said a Russian representative was summoned to the ministry on Saturday and would be handed a note. He also said the attack showed no sign that Moscow wants peace or negotiations, adding that the Kremlin’s goal remains destruction, death and intimidation. Budrys called for stronger sanctions against Russia and more support for Ukraine.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemned the strike and stressed that several projectiles had fallen near the embassy. He said the attack was a reminder that Russian terror has no borders and that Ukraine is defending not only its own people but also the security of all Europe. Nauseda urged allies to provide more modern air-defense systems to help Ukraine protect its skies.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia’s attacks respect no international norms, including the Vienna Convention, and that terror can only be stopped by force and adequate defense capabilities. He expressed solidarity with Lithuania, Ambassador Inga Toločkienė and the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, and said Ukraine is ready to provide any necessary assistance.
Casualties and destruction
According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, nine people were killed and at least 23 wounded in the attack. Fires and damage were reported in five districts of the capital. In the Solomianskyi district, two people died and eight were injured, including two children; a five-story residential building was partially destroyed and 35 people were evacuated from upper floors. In the Darnytskyi district, seven were killed and 14 injured, including two children, and a crater was left in a park. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, a non-residential building, several emergency medical vehicles and a film studio area caught fire. In the Dnipro district, a store was partially destroyed, and in the Pecherskyi district four private homes and utility buildings were damaged.
