Vladimir Putin's "deliberate" missile attack on a British Council building in Ukraine only narrowly avoided killing its staff.
Two missiles were fired into the building in Kyiv, roughly 20 seconds apart.
The building, which recruits Britons to teach there, was set to open just a few hours after the attacks, the first of which occurred at 5.40am, with the second following just moments later.
Alongside the offices, hypersonic missiles and 629 drones hit other places across the Ukrainian capital, killing 17 people, including four children.
Two missiles hit the British Council building roughly 20 seconds apart
|REUTERS
Although the British Council, which offers English language course and educational programmes, is independent of Government, it does receive funding from the Foreign Office.
After the strike, which was the second largest since the beginning of the war, the Russian ambassador in London was summoned to an urgent meeting by the department.
Its head, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, demanded that "the killing and destruction must stop" - while the Prime Minister accused Russia of "sabotaging hopes of peace".
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The strike was the second largest since the beginning of the war
|REUTERS
And Cormac Smith, a former adviser to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told GB News there was a "very good chance" that the strike "was not an accident".
Mr Smith added: "This is proof that Putin has absolutely no interest in a peace process.
"Diplomacy with Russia does not work, the only thing that works with Russia is strength and power."
The head of the British Council in Ukraine, Colm McGovern, did not clarify whether he believed the strikes to have been intentional, but he did say: "What I do think is intentional is Russia's continued attacks on education and cultural infrastructure in Ukraine.
"The British Council is steadfastly determined that we will continue to support... education and cultural links for Ukraine with the UK."
Mr Putin's hatred for the British Council is well-known - and in 2007, his regime accused its establishments in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg of tax evasion, demanding their closure.
Hypersonic missiles and 629 drones hit across the Ukrainian capital, killing 17 people, including four children
|REUTERS
Dmitry Medvedev - then the Russian President - called the British Council a "secret weapon" in Britain's goals to reclaim its role as "mistress of the seas".
He added: "It is known that state-financed structures like the British Council conduct a mass of other activities that are not so widely published.
"Among other things, they are involved in gathering information and conducting espionage activities."
In June this year, the organisation was branded "undesirable" by the Kremlin - and it became illegal for Russians to collaborate with it.
Any academics who had previously worked for the establishments were investigated.