Russia launched air attacks on Kyiv using drones and missiles early Tuesday, resuming the assaults after a temporary pause for the visit of U.S. peace negotiators. The strikes resulted in the deaths of two individuals and sparked fires throughout the Ukrainian capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 10 more people were wounded in the city, with falling debris causing fires at a five-story apartment building and a three-story residential block in one area.
At least 14 high-rise buildings, a dormitory, a school, a clinic, warehouses, and other structures were damaged in the attack. The Russian military resumed the assaults following the departure of U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff from Kyiv after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday. These developments came amid renewed efforts by the Trump administration to end Russia’s 4-1/2-year conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching another intense attack on Kyiv once the U.S. peace envoys had left the city. Sybiha emphasized the need for increased international pressure on Moscow and the urgent provision of interceptors to counter ballistic missiles, as Kyiv’s supplies of such defense systems were running critically low.
Residents in Kyiv, like 61-year-old Iryna Barisenkova, described hearing explosions while using public transportation and witnessing a large fire near the Darnytskyi Vehicle Repair Plant area on the left bank of the capital. Barisenkova remarked on the intensity of the situation, referring to it as “brutal.”
Prior to the recent diplomatic talks, Russia had escalated its air attacks on Kyiv and nearby regions, intensifying the assaults to nearly round-the-clock operations for several days. The Russian defense ministry confirmed targeting military and logistical sites in Kyiv, the surrounding region, and the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.
In response to the escalating conflict, Poland, a NATO and EU member, initiated preventive measures against potential Russian missile attacks on Ukraine. The Polish army announced temporary suspension of flights at Lublin airport due to ongoing military operations. Meanwhile, in Russia, Ukrainian drones reportedly caused damage to civilian infrastructure and injuries in Saratov, located around 730 kilometers southeast of Moscow, where a major oil refinery and other industrial facilities are situated.
Furthermore, in a separate incident, two individuals were killed and one person was wounded in a Ukrainian attack on the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, according to Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed regional governor.