At least three people, including a five-year-old child, were killed in Kyiv after Russia launched a barrage of drones targeting the Ukrainian capital overnight on Sunday, local officials and emergency services confirmed.
The deadly attack came just ahead of a planned round of ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine and Russia are expected to engage in indirect U.S.-mediated talks on Monday. The discussions will focus on a potential pause in long-range attacks targeting energy infrastructure and civilian areas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia a day before the indirect talks. Ukraine is expected to send technical teams to the talks to discuss the details of a partial ceasefire agreement.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 147 drones across Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defenses successfully shooting down 97. Additionally, 25 drones were intercepted before reaching their targets due to countermeasures. The attacks also struck other regions of Ukraine, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, and Donetsk.
The drone strikes led to widespread destruction in Kyiv, where explosions were heard throughout the night, and air raid sirens blared for over five hours. Russian drones and debris from shot-down drones fell on residential buildings, causing significant damage. The Kyiv City Military Administration reported that three people were killed, including a woman in a nine-storey building that caught fire from falling drone debris.
Fires also broke out in the district of Podil, where a 20th-floor fire erupted in a 25-storey building. Additionally, fires in Holosiivskyi district destroyed a warehouse and an office building, resulting in one more fatality, according to the State Emergency Service.
In response to Ukrainian drone strikes, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that it had downed 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 29 shot down over the Rostov region and 20 more over southwestern Astrakhan. In Rostov, one person was killed, and a car caught fire from the Ukrainian drone attack, according to the region’s temporary governor, Yuri Slyusar.
As tensions continue to escalate, both sides prepare for crucial talks in Saudi Arabia, with hopes of reaching a temporary pause in hostilities.
