A Russian drone and missile barrage on Kyiv and its suburbs Saturday killed two people, wounded 24 and cut off heating and electricity for hundreds of thousands of people left in freezing temperatures.
An air alert lasted several hours after loud overnight explosions, some accompanied by bright flashes that turned the sky orange, according to AFP reporters in Kyiv.
The attack killed a 47-year-old woman, Kyiv regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said.
"There are already 19 persons affected in the capital. Eleven persons have been hospitalized," said Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko. He added that 2,600 residential buildings and hundreds of kindergartens, schools and social buildings had lost heat.
"As of this morning, part of the left bank of the region remains without electricity. Currently, more than 320,000 consumers are without power," Kalashnyk added.
Ukraine's air force announced a countrywide air alert early Saturday and said that drones and missiles were moving over several Ukrainian regions.
The attack came ahead of President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to discuss a proposed plan to end the fighting.
Zelensky said the attack showed Russia did not want to end its invasion launched in February 2022 that has left tens of thousands dead.
"Russian representatives engage in lengthy talks, but in reality, Kinzhals and Shaheds speak for them," he said, referring to the Kinzhal ballistic missiles and the Shahed drones used in Russia's daily strikes.
"They do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering and increase their pressure on others around the world," he added.
Russia accused Zelensky and his EU backers on Friday of seeking to "torpedo" the U.S.-brokered plan.
The latest plan is a 20-point proposal that would freeze the war on its current front line but open the door for Ukraine to pull back troops from the east, where demilitarized buffer zones could be created, according to details revealed by Zelensky this week.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
