Russian Strikes on Kyiv Kill at Least Two as Ukraine Intercepts Scores of Missiles and Drones

Russian forces launched a fresh wave of missile and drone attacks on Kyiv on Tuesday, killing at least two people and injuring 10 others, shortly after a three-day pause in strikes on the capitals of Russia and Ukraine came to an end.

The latest attacks followed a visit to Moscow and Kyiv by United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who held discussions with Russian and Ukrainian officials about possible steps towards ending the more than four-year war.

Despite the talks, no immediate breakthrough was announced.

Ukraine’s Air Force said it had successfully intercepted 142 drones, 31 of 32 cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles fired by Russia during the overnight assault.

The military did not provide details on the total number of ballistic missiles launched.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least two people were killed and 10 others wounded in the attacks.

Several parts of the capital were affected, including the Darnytskyi, Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Solomianskyi districts.

Ukraine’s emergency services reported that drones struck buildings in Kyiv and also caused damage in the nearby Boryspil and Fastiv districts.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the renewed attacks, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of launching what he described as another major assault immediately after the US envoys left the region.

Sybiha said the attacks demonstrated that Russia’s military actions were speaking louder than its diplomatic statements, arguing that Moscow’s decision to resume strikes undermined efforts to achieve a peaceful settlement.

The latest violence was not limited to Ukraine. Russian authorities also reported several Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory.

Roman Busargin, governor of Russia’s Saratov region, said a Ukrainian drone strike hit civilian infrastructure in Saratov, located nearly 1,000km from Moscow, leaving several people injured.

In Russia’s Bryansk region, acting Governor Yegor Kovalchuk said at least one person was killed in a separate Ukrainian attack on the town of Starodub, near the Ukrainian border.

Moscow-appointed authorities in Crimea also reported an attack on the peninsula.

Regional Governor Sergei Aksyonov said at least two people were killed and another person was wounded.

The renewed fighting came after Russia and Ukraine had agreed to temporarily suspend attacks against each other’s capitals for three days while Washington pursued diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict closer to an end.

The temporary pause was announced during the weekend as Witkoff and Kushner travelled between Moscow and Kyiv for discussions with senior officials.

Russia’s state-run news agency TASS reported that the three-day suspension ordered by Putin expired on Monday evening, paving the way for the latest Russian strikes on Kyiv.

Witkoff and Kushner held more than three hours of talks with Russian officials in Moscow on Saturday.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov described the discussions as “highly useful”.

After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Witkoff said the discussions had been meaningful and substantive.

He added that the United States was encouraged by the talks and prepared to continue diplomatic efforts for as long as necessary.

The US envoy also indicated that there could be renewed efforts to revive three-way negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

A White House official told Reuters that Washington would announce the next steps in its efforts to address the war in the coming weeks.

The conflict began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has continued despite repeated diplomatic initiatives, ceasefire proposals and international efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement.

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