KYIV, Dec 27 – Russia launched one of its most intense aerial assaults on Ukraine’s capital in recent months early Saturday, striking Kyiv with a barrage of missiles and drones just a day before a highly anticipated meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. The pre dawn attack killed at least one civilian, injured 27 others, including children, and left large parts of the city without electricity and heating, according to Ukrainian officials.
Residents across Kyiv were jolted awake by hours of explosions as air defense systems engaged incoming threats. The strikes began before sunrise and continued into the morning, filling the skyline with smoke and the sound of sirens. Authorities described widespread damage to residential buildings and key infrastructure, while emergency crews worked through the rubble to rescue trapped civilians.
Kyiv Under Fire as Russia Escalates Strikes
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said more than ten residential buildings were damaged in multiple districts of Kyiv. Emergency services confirmed that people were pulled from collapsed structures, while fires erupted in several high rise apartment complexes. In one of the hardest hit incidents, a body was recovered from beneath the debris of a destroyed building.
The head of the Kyiv Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said the attack struck at least seven locations across the capital. He confirmed that two children were among the wounded and warned that drones were active across nearly the entire central part of the city. According to Tkachenko, Russia’s actions appeared to be a deliberate signal that it was prepared to intensify the conflict rather than pursue immediate de escalation.
Eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture of the human toll. Olena Karpenko, a 52 year old resident, described hearing the screams of a man trapped in a burning apartment after an explosion rocked her neighborhood. She recalled seeing flames engulf part of the building as residents cried out for help. Her testimony echoed similar accounts shared with local authorities and emergency responders, highlighting the civilian suffering caused by the attack.
Ukraine’s Emergency Service reported that beyond Kyiv city limits, surrounding areas in the Kyiv region were also hit. In the Vyshhorod district, rescuers saved one person who had been buried under the rubble of a destroyed house. Industrial facilities and additional residential buildings sustained damage, further straining local resources.
President Zelenskyy said Russia launched nearly 500 drones and about 40 missiles of various types during the overnight assault. In a message posted on Telegram, he stated that energy infrastructure and civilian targets were the primary focus, leaving some neighborhoods without power or heating. He questioned Russia’s intentions, asking why there had been no meaningful response from Moscow to international proposals aimed at ending the war.
Zelenskyy added that while Russian officials may engage in lengthy diplomatic discussions, the reality on the ground was being dictated by weapons such as Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and Shahed drones. His remarks were widely shared by Ukrainian media outlets and government channels.
Russia’s Defense Ministry, in its own statement, said it carried out a massive overnight strike using long range precision guided weapons launched from land, air, and sea. The ministry claimed the targets included energy facilities allegedly used by Ukraine’s armed forces and enterprises linked to the military industrial sector. Russian officials said the operation was retaliation for what they described as Ukrainian attacks on civilian sites inside Russia. Earlier the same day, Moscow reported that its air defenses had intercepted seven Ukrainian drones over the Krasnodar and Adygeya regions, according to official defense briefings.
Diplomatic Stakes Rise Ahead of Zelenskyy Trump Talks
The timing of the assault drew immediate attention, coming just before Zelenskyy’s scheduled talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida. The Ukrainian leader is seeking stronger international backing as the war approaches its fourth year, with security guarantees at the top of his agenda.
On his journey to the United States, Zelenskyy planned a stopover in Canada, where he intended to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney and hold online discussions with European leaders, according to remarks he shared with journalists via a secure messaging platform. He said his goal was to reduce unresolved issues ahead of his meeting with Trump, while maintaining Ukraine’s core red lines.
Security guarantees remain the most critical issue for Kyiv. Zelenskyy emphasized that beyond territorial disputes and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Ukraine needs firm assurances for its long term defense. The United States has previously indicated support for guarantees similar to NATO’s Article 5 principle, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all, though specific mechanisms are still under discussion.
Territorial questions are expected to be among the most sensitive topics in the Florida talks. Regions such as Donetsk and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear facility remain under intense dispute. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would never recognize any occupied territory as Russian under any circumstances, a position he has consistently maintained in public statements and official addresses.
Meanwhile, the ripple effects of Russia’s assault were felt beyond Ukraine’s borders. Poland’s armed forces command announced that fighter jets were scrambled and airports in Lublin and Rzeszow, both near the Ukrainian border, were temporarily closed as a precaution. The Polish Civil Aviation Authority later confirmed that operations had resumed and that no violation of Polish airspace had occurred. Officials did not immediately clarify what triggered the heightened alert, given that Kyiv is located far from the Polish border.