Ukraine: Kyiv has suffered a major overnight assault from Russian forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conveyed, highlighting that Moscow doesn’t want peace as he headed to Florida for high-level talks with US President Donald Trump.
The 10-hour attack, involving missiles and drones, killed two people and left 32 injured, according to local authorities. Ukraine’s Minister for Development Oleksiy Kuleba reported that 40 percent of residential buildings in Kyiv and nearby districts were left without heating due to damage to energy infrastructure.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated that long-range precision weapons were aimed at energy facilities, which it claimed were being used by the Ukrainian military. Zelenskyy, writing on Telegram, said almost 500 drones and 40 missiles targeted Kyiv’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
Photos from the city showed severe damage to apartment buildings and homes. Emergency services evacuated 68 people from a retirement home in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district. Zelenskyy stated that, “Russian representatives are having long conversations, but in reality the missiles and drones are speaking for them.”
Poland, sharing a 530km border with Ukraine, placed its fighter jets, air defence systems, and radar on alert, though later confirmed no violation of its airspace occurred. Meanwhile, Russia reported intercepting almost 200 Ukrainian drones across several regions, including eight over Moscow.
Ahead of his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who pledged $1.9 billion ($2.5 billion CAD) in economic assistance, but stressed that a willing Russia is key to lasting peace. Zelenskyy also consulted European leaders to coordinate diplomatic priorities and emphasised that strong positions are essential for progress.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, visited a military command centre and warned that if Kyiv refused a peaceful resolution, Russia would achieve its objectives militarily.
The new 20-point peace draft, revised from an earlier 28-point proposal seen as favourable to Russia, reportedly includes security guarantees from the US, NATO, and European allies, alongside discussions on territorial concessions and a potential free economic zone in eastern Ukraine. Trump indicated he expects to review the plan on Sunday and expressed optimism for its reception by Putin.
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