Russia pounded Ukraine with deadly missiles and drone strikes on Thursday in a sweeping attack.
At least 21 people were killed in the capital, city officials said, with more than 60 wounded.
The strikes damaged the European Union's mission and British Council offices in the city, officials said.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strike, the second-largest attack since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, was Russia's answer to diplomatic efforts to end the war.
"Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table," Zelenskyy said on X, calling for new sanctions on Russia. "It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war."
Zelenskyy said the strikes also damaged a Turkish enterprise and the Azerbaijan embassy.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko described it as one of the biggest attacks on the city in recent months, with officials saying it damaged buildings in all city districts.
Across the country, Ukraine's military said Russian attacks struck 13 locations. National grid operator Ukrenergo said energy facilities were hit, resulting in power cuts.
Strikes draw international condemnation
Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the "reprehensible" attack.
"Russia's strikes on homes, civilian infrastructure and diplomatic premises are reprehensible," she said in a statement.
"The people of Ukraine have the right to live in peace, free from fear and aggression. Australia again calls on Russia to end its illegal and immoral war."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong called Russia's attack on Kyiv "reprehensible". Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
US special envoy Keith Kellogg commented on the social media platform X: "The targets? Not soldiers and weapons but residential areas in Kyiv — blasting civilian trains, the EU & British mission council offices, and innocent civilians."
The EU and UK summoned Russian envoys to protest. There were no reports of casualties at either site.
The strikes occurred less than two weeks after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska, a meeting the US president had hoped would advance his peace efforts.
Russia said its attack had hit military industrial facilities and air bases, and that Ukraine had attacked Russian targets. The Kremlin said it was still interested in pursuing peace talks.
"This is another grim reminder of what is at stake. It shows that the Kremlin will stop at nothing to terrorise Ukraine, blindly killing civilians and even targeting the European Union," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.
She said two missiles had struck near the EU office within 20 seconds of each other.
EU countries are expected to soon unveil a 19th package of sanctions against Russia and are advancing work on how to utilise frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine, she said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the assault, which he said had damaged the British Council building. "Putin is killing children and civilians and sabotaging hopes of peace," he wrote on X.
Russia has regularly denied targeting civilians. Ukrainian officials say scores of civilians have died in Russian strikes on densely populated areas in recent months, and thousands since the start of the war.
A push by Ukraine and its allies to end the invasion has yielded little, despite Trump's meetings this month with Putin, then Zelenskyy.
Russia has stepped up airstrikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far behind the front lines and pushed a grinding offensive across much of the east in an effort to pressure Ukraine into giving up territory.
Ukraine's military said air defences downed 563 of nearly 600 drones and 26 of 31 missiles launched by Russia across the country.
Ukrainian attacks on Russia also continue
Russia's defence ministry said Russian air defences destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight in at least seven regions.
Ukraine's drone force said it had struck the Afipsky and Kuybyshev oil refineries as part of that attack.
Leavitt said the Russian attacks had been deadly and that Ukrainian attacks had done significant damage in August to Russian oil refineries.
"Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves.
"The president wants it to end, but the leaders of these two countries need it to end and want it to end."
