Russia strikes Kyiv hours after US envoys leave, killing two
Russian drones and missiles hit Kyiv after US envoys departed, killing two and wounding ten, officials said.
Russia launched a fresh wave of drone and missile attacks on Kyiv early Tuesday, killing two people and wounding ten others, according to Ukrainian officials. The assault came shortly after a brief lull in strikes that coincided with the visit of American peace negotiators to the capital.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said falling debris sparked fires at a five-storey apartment building and a three-storey residential block. Officials reported damage to at least 14 high-rise buildings, a dormitory, a school, a clinic, and several warehouses across the city.
The renewed bombardment followed the departure of US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who had met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday after talks in Moscow. The Kremlin had earlier indicated it did not rule out resuming three-way negotiations.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the timing of the attack, saying on social media that Moscow's "ballistic missiles speak louder than his words on diplomacy." He urged allies to supply additional interceptor missiles, warning that Kyiv's stocks were critically low.
In the days before the envoys' visit, Russian forces had intensified air attacks on Kyiv and surrounding areas, using faster jet-propelled drones in near round-the-clock strikes. Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying the latest attacks targeted military and logistics sites in the capital region and the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.
Poland, a NATO member, activated its aircraft as a precaution during the strikes, and flights at Lublin airport were temporarily suspended. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones struck civilian infrastructure in the Russian city of Saratov, injuring people, according to the regional governor. The area hosts a major Rosneft oil refinery and other industrial facilities.