Russia launched a large-scale overnight assault on Kyiv and other regions of Ukraine on Saturday, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as a direct response to ongoing US-led peace efforts.
According to Zelenskyy, the attack involved approximately 500 drones and 40 missiles, plunging parts of the Ukrainian capital into darkness after power and heating infrastructure was damaged. Kyiv remained under air raid alert for nearly 10 hours, with the warning only lifted at 11:20am local time.
Ukrainian authorities confirmed that two people were killed in Kyiv and surrounding areas, while at least 46 others were injured, including two children.
The strikes came ahead of a crucial meeting between Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump, expected to take place in Florida on Sunday. Zelenskyy said the talks would focus on security guarantees and territorial control in the event of a negotiated end to the war.
“Today, Russia demonstrated how it responds to peaceful negotiations between Ukraine and the United States to end Russia’s war against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, remains the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. Russia has not issued an immediate response to the latest attacks.
