Overnight, Russian military strikes targeted Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, resulting in one fatality and injuring at least 15 others, according to local authorities. As air raid alerts were in effect across the country, military officials in Kyiv issued warnings of impending drone and ballistic missile strikes.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko of Kyiv reported a “massive enemy attack” and urged residents to stay in shelters. He confirmed that one person had died and at least four others had sustained injuries, with three individuals requiring hospitalization. The strikes also caused several non-residential buildings to be damaged and ignited fires across the affected areas, leading to disruptions in heat and water services for parts of the capital.
In Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine, Mayor Igor Terekhov reported damage from Iranian-made Shahed drones, specifically noting the impact on residential buildings near the Russian border. Terekhov confirmed that over 11 people had been injured as a result of the attacks.
These strikes come on the heels of a significant diplomatic engagement, where negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States convened in Abu Dhabi to discuss a potential plan to end the nearly four-year-long conflict. Ahead of the talks, which are set to continue, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that territorial disputes remain a critical issue, particularly with Russia’s demands for Ukraine to withdraw from the eastern Donbas region.
