At least eight people were killed and dozens injured in a major Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, during the night. The strike is one of the deadliest in Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion over three years ago, reported by Al Jazeera News.
Loud explosions were heard across the city after air raid sirens warned residents to take cover. While Ukraine has faced many air attacks throughout the war, strikes on Kyiv are less frequent because the city is protected by stronger air defenses.
Rescue teams worked through the night, pulling people from the rubble and putting out fires in damaged apartment buildings. According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service, eight people died and at least 42 others were hospitalized, including six children.
Russia also launched missiles at Kharkiv, a major city in northeastern Ukraine. Mayor Igor Terekhov said at least seven missiles hit the city, including one that struck a busy residential area, injuring two people. Authorities are still checking other areas that were hit.
At the same time, Russia claimed to have shot down 87 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 45 over Crimea — a region it took from Ukraine in 2014.
These new attacks have made the chances of a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine even less likely. The situation comes just hours after former U.S. President Donald Trump said a peace deal was “very close.” Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for refusing to accept Russia’s control over Crimea as part of any deal. Trump added that Zelenskyy’s refusal was making things worse, even calling him harder to negotiate with than Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy, however, has called for a full and unconditional ceasefire. His top aide, Andriy Yermak, said Russia is showing no interest in peace and only wants to continue killing civilians. “The attacks on civilians must stop,” Yermak said.
Over the past month, Russia has carried out some of its most deadly airstrikes, including an attack on Sumy that killed at least 35 people and another on Zelenskyy’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih, that left 19 dead.
Zelenskyy recently met with officials from the U.S. and Europe in London, again pushing for an immediate end to the violence.
People in Kyiv are growing more frustrated. A local reporter noted that many Ukrainians are angry — not just at Russia, but also at what they see as pressure from foreign powers to make unfair compromises while they are still under attack.
The war continues with no clear end in sight, as peace talks remain stuck and deadly strikes increase.
