Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday Russia's major aerial attack on Kyiv shows President Vladimir Putin is "choosing ballistics" instead of "real steps towards peace".

Speaking in his nightly address, Zelenskyy said despite claims of being ready to negotiate, Moscow's war goals "have not changed".

Russia's early morning bombardment of the capital killed at least 21 people, wounded 48 and damaged European Union diplomatic offices, authorities said.

The bombardment of drones and missiles was the first major Russian attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.-led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggled to gain traction.

Zelenskyy said it was a strike not only against Ukraine, but against Europe and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The attack was one of the few times Russian drones and missiles have penetrated the heart of Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country early Thursday, most of them striking targets in Kyiv.

The Kremlin said Russia remained interested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday's air attack, which was one of the war's biggest since it began in 2022.