Early on Tuesday, Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles on Kyiv, resuming its aerial assaults after a temporary pause during the visit of U.S. peace negotiators. This attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals and ignited multiple fires throughout the Ukrainian capital.
According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, an additional 10 people sustained injuries in the city. Debris falling in one area led to fires at both a five-storey apartment complex and a three-storey residential building.
Officials reported that at least 14 high-rise structures, a dormitory, a school, a clinic, warehouses, and other facilities were damaged in the onslaught.
The resumption of attacks followed the departure of U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff from Kyiv, where they had met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. This meeting coincided with the Trump administration’s renewed efforts to bring an end to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has lasted for over four and a half years.
Having arrived from discussions in Moscow, the Kremlin stated that it did not dismiss the possibility of restarting three-party negotiations.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 10 individuals were injured in the city, while debris in one district ignited fires in two residential buildings. (Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press)
“The instant the U.S. president’s peace envoys departed, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin initiated another large-scale, devastating attack on Kyiv,” stated Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X.
“His ballistic missiles convey more than his diplomatic rhetoric,” Sybiha added, calling on allies to increase pressure on Moscow and to supply interceptors to neutralize ballistic missiles, as Kyiv’s supply is critically low.
Iryna Barisenkova, a 61-year-old resident of Kyiv, recounted hearing explosions while on public transport and was informed of a significant fire near the Darnytskyi Vehicle Repair Plant, or DVRZ, located on the left bank of the capital.
“It was shaking everywhere on the left bank,” Barisenkova remarked. “It was just brutal.”
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Russian air attacks kill 12 in Kyiv region on 6th day of strikes
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U.S. officials optimistic after Kyiv trip
Prior to the diplomatic meetings, Russia intensified its air strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas nearly continuously for several days, shifting from primarily nocturnal attacks to daytime assaults with faster jet-propelled drones that resulted in civilian casualties and disrupted daily life.
The Russian defense ministry asserted that Moscow targeted military and logistical sites in Kyiv and its vicinity, along with locations in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, according to Russian news agencies.
American special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff expressed optimism regarding peace talks between Russia and Ukraine during their visit to Kyiv amidst escalating airstrikes from both sides.
Poland activates aircraft
As explosions rang out in Kyiv, neighboring Poland, a member of NATO and the European Union, initiated precautionary measures against potential Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, according to the Polish military.
Flights at Poland’s Lublin airport have been temporarily suspended due to these military operations.
In Russia, Ukrainian drones reportedly caused damage to civilian infrastructure and injured individuals in the Volga river city of Saratov, which is located approximately 730 kilometers southeast of Moscow, according to the regional governor.
This region houses a significant oil refinery operated by the state oil company Rosneft, along with various industrial and military installations.
Additionally, two people were killed and one injured in a Ukrainian strike on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014, as reported by Sergei Aksyonov, the regional governor appointed by Moscow.
A woman with a child leaves a Kyiv shelter following the airstrikes. (Yan Dobronosov/Reuters)
