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Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine’s capital early Saturday, killing at least one person and wounding dozens more, Ukrainian officials said, in an attack that came on the eve of planned talks between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war.
Explosions echoed across Kyiv for hours as air defenses attempted to intercept incoming projectiles. Ukrainian authorities said the barrage damaged residential buildings and energy infrastructure, leaving parts of the capital without electricity and heating.
“This attack is Russia’s answer to our peace efforts,” Zelenskyy said after stopping in Canada, where he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney before traveling to Florida for talks with Trump. “It clearly shows that President Vladimir Putin does not want peace.”
Heavy bombardment targets capital
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched nearly 500 drones and about 40 missiles of various types overnight, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. Kyiv officials said at least 27 people were injured, including two children, and that one body was recovered from the rubble of a damaged apartment building.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said more than 10 residential buildings were damaged across the city. Emergency crews evacuated residents and searched collapsed structures for survivors.
“In fact, the entire center of Kyiv was under drone attack,” said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv Military Administration, adding that the strikes appeared aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure.
In the wider Kyiv region, strikes hit industrial and residential areas, Ukraine’s Emergency Service said. One person was rescued alive from the rubble of a destroyed house in the Vyshhorod district north of the capital.
Russia cites retaliation
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it carried out a “massive strike” using long-range, precision-guided weapons launched from land, air and sea. It claimed the attacks targeted facilities supporting Ukraine’s armed forces and defense industry and said the strike was retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on civilian sites inside Russia.
Ukraine has denied deliberately targeting civilians.
Earlier Saturday, the Russian military said it intercepted seven Ukrainian drones over southern Russian regions overnight.
Regional fallout
The attacks prompted Poland to scramble fighter jets and temporarily suspend operations at two airports near the Ukrainian border as a precaution, Polish authorities said. There was no violation of Polish airspace, and flights later resumed.
Kremlin signals pressure
Hours after the assault, Russian state media released video showing Putin in military fatigues receiving briefings from senior commanders at an undisclosed command post.
Russia’s military chief, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, claimed Russian forces had taken full control of several settlements in eastern and southern Ukraine, including Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region and Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian officials disputed the claims, saying fighting continued in those areas.
“If Kyiv authorities are not willing to resolve this peacefully, we will achieve our objectives by military means,” Putin said.
Diplomacy under strain
The attack came as Zelenskyy prepared to meet Trump on Sunday in Florida, part of a renewed U.S. push to broker an end to the nearly four-year-old war.
Zelenskyy said he plans to prioritize discussions on security guarantees, air defenses and reconstruction funding. He reiterated that Ukraine would never recognize occupied territory as Russian “under any circumstances,” including the Donetsk region and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
European leaders expressed support for Ukraine following the strike. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Zelenskyy briefed EU and NATO leaders in a conference call and received their “full support.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said any settlement must preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Canada announced $1.8 billion in additional economic assistance to Ukraine to help unlock international financing for reconstruction. Zelenskyy said rebuilding the country would ultimately require $700 billion to $800 billion.
As diplomacy intensifies, Saturday’s attack underscored the gap between U.S.-led peace efforts and Russia’s continued military pressure — a reality that may shape the talks in the days ahead.
