Russia launched its largest barrage of drones and missiles in a month across Ukraine, killing at least three people and causing widespread damage to energy and residential infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
What happened: Ukrainian officials reported that Moscow fired roughly 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones from Friday night into Saturday. Large parts of the capital, Kyiv, and surrounding regions were left without power after strikes targeted energy facilities and civilian buildings.
The Ukrainian air force said defense units intercepted the bulk of the incoming projectiles by Saturday morning. Officials identified most of the intercepted devices as Iranian-made Shahed drones and Russian long-range Gerbera drones.
Local authorities reported two fatalities in Kyiv — including a 42-year-old man — and a third death, a 74-year-old woman, in the Kyiv region. Dozens were injured, including at least one child. Emergency crews were seen entering multi-story residential buildings where windows were shattered and facades scorched.
Ukraine’s energy ministry said the overnight strikes left more than 600,000 customers without electricity: over 500,000 in Kyiv, more than 100,000 in the Kyiv region and nearly 8,000 in the Kharkiv region.
Poland scrambled fighter jets and activated air-defence systems as a preventative measure, and Kyiv remained under an air-raid alert for more than ten hours, with drones and explosions reported across the city.
Political and diplomatic context
The attack coincided with a Ukrainian delegation en route to the United States for talks on a proposed peace plan. The delegation’s mission came amid additional domestic strain in Kyiv after Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s chief of staff and lead negotiator, resigned following an anti-corruption raid at his home.
A U.S. team is also expected to travel to Moscow for discussions with President Vladimir Putin about an administration-backed peace proposal. An initial draft reportedly reflected several Russian demands and was later revised after recent talks in Geneva. Putin has suggested the original draft could form a basis for agreement but has also insisted that any deal would require Ukrainian withdrawals from parts of eastern Ukraine — a stance he said could otherwise be enforced by military means.
"The main targets of the attack were energy infrastructure and civilian facilities," President Zelensky said, adding authorities were still tallying the full extent of damage and casualties.
Authorities continue emergency repairs and restore power where possible while investigations into damage and casualties proceed. International and regional responses are ongoing as diplomats and negotiators prepare for further discussions.
