Russia Launches Major Attack on Ukraine Amid Peace Talks
KYIV, Ukraine – Russia executed a significant missile and drone strike on Ukraine overnight into Saturday. This offensive follows the announcement by U.S. and Ukrainian officials about discussions continuing for a third day, aimed at resolving nearly four years of conflict.
According to Ukraine’s air force, the attack involved 653 drones and 51 missiles, leading to air raid alerts nationwide and coinciding with Ukraine’s Armed Forces Day celebrations.
The military reported that they managed to intercept 585 drones and 30 missiles, while also indicating that 29 different sites were engaged during the assault.
Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko stated that the attack resulted in injuries to at least eight individuals, with three affected in the Kyiv region specifically. Unconfirmed reports suggested drone sightings across as far west as Lviv.
Ukrenergo, the state energy operator, indicated that Russia has been targeting energy infrastructure like power plants through these extensive missile and drone strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy remarked that energy facilities were the primary focus of the attack. He added that a drone strike resulted in a fire at a railway station in Fastiv, located in the Kyiv region.
On their end, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have downed 116 Ukrainian drones over its territory during the same timeframe.
Reports from the Russian Telegram channel Astra mentioned that Ukraine has released footage purportedly showing a strike on Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery, which led to a visible fire. However, the authenticity of this video remains unverified by the Associated Press.
Ukraine has yet to address the claims about the refinery attack. Governor Pavel Markov of the Ryazan region mentioned that residential areas were damaged and debris fell but did not confirm any connection to the refinery.
The ongoing long-range drone strikes by Ukraine on Russian oil facilities aim to hinder Russia’s oil export revenues that support its military actions. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its Western allies allege that Russia is intentionally targeting Ukraine’s power grid, seeking to deprive civilians of essential services during the harsh winter months, which Ukrainian officials describe as a tactic of “weaponizing the cold.”
This assault coincided with talks led by U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisers and Ukrainian representatives, continuing for a third day. They reported progress toward an agreement concerning security frameworks for a postwar Ukraine.
After discussions on Friday, both sides acknowledged that substantial progress toward a resolution hinges on Russia’s willingness to demonstrate a genuine commitment to long-term peace.
The statements from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Natov, reflect the cautious optimism expressed after the dialogues in Florida. They only shared general insights about the advancements claimed by Trump as he encourages both Kyiv and Moscow to accept a U.S.-mediated plan aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
