Massive Russian Strike Kills Four in Kyiv as Peace Talks Stall

At least four people died and 20 were injured during overnight Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, according to local officials.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported Friday morning that search and rescue operations continued across multiple locations, with 16 wounded individuals hospitalized.

Ukrainian authorities stated that Russian forces launched 407 drones and 45 missiles, including cruise and ballistic types. Ukraine’s defense systems successfully destroyed approximately 200 drones and 30 missiles.

The attack created widespread fear and destruction across the capital. Multiple explosions echoed through Kyiv as falling debris sparked fires in several districts while air defense systems worked to intercept incoming projectiles, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Administration.

“Our air defence crews are doing everything possible. But we must protect one another – stay safe,” Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine’s human rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, condemned the assault, calling it a violation of basic human rights and demanding international action. “Russia is acting like a terrorist, systematically targeting civilian infrastructure,” he stated, urging the world to respond with concrete steps against the aggressor.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Western allies to increase pressure on Russia. “Russia’s overnight attack on civilians once again demonstrates that the international pressure on Moscow must be increased as soon as possible,” he said.

Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians since launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that three emergency workers were killed in Kyiv while responding to the aftermath. “They were working under fire to help people,” the ministry stated.

In the Solomyanskyi district, a fire erupted on the 11th floor of a 16-story residential building. Emergency services evacuated three residents as rescue operations continued. A separate fire occurred in a metal warehouse.

Tkachenko reported damage to metro tracks between two Kyiv stations, though no fires or injuries resulted from this particular incident.

The assault affected at least six Ukrainian regions, causing civilian casualties, infrastructure damage, and utility disruptions.

In the western city of Ternopil, injuries rose to 10 people, including five emergency workers, according to regional governor Viacheslav Nehoda. The strike damaged industrial and infrastructure facilities, caused power outages, and disrupted water supplies.

Three people sustained injuries in Ukraine’s central Poltava region following attacks that damaged administrative buildings, warehouses, and a cafe, regional head Volodymyr Kohut reported. Resulting fires have been extinguished, and debris has fallen on a private residence.

Russian forces also targeted the Khmelnytskyi region overnight, damaging residential buildings, outbuildings, fencing, and vehicles, regional governor Serhii Tiuryn said.

Air defense forces intercepted three Russian missiles over the western Lviv region, according to regional head Maksym Kozytskyi.

In the northern Chernihiv region, a Shahed drone exploded near an apartment building, breaking windows and doors, reported regional military administration chief Dmytro Bryzhynskyi. He noted that ballistic missile explosions were also recorded on the city’s outskirts.

This attack occurred as peace prospects between Russia and Ukraine appeared increasingly uncertain, despite two rounds of direct negotiations in Istanbul.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested it might be preferable to allow Ukraine and Russia to “fight for a while” rather than pursue immediate peace negotiations, marking a significant departure from his previous calls for rapid conflict resolution.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Trump during a telephone conversation that Moscow would respond to recent extensive Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian military aircraft deep within Russian territory.