Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s capital Kyiv early Wednesday, striking multiple residential buildings, triggering fires and killing two people, city officials said.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv military administration, said in a Telegram post that the strikes began after 1 a.m. local time (11 p.m. Irish time). He said two people were killed and six were injured, and that air-defence units were engaged as both drones and missiles were used in the assault.
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Emergency services published images showing firefighters on ladders aiming hoses at blazes on upper floors. One nine-story residential building on the east bank of the Dnipro River suffered severe damage on its sixth and seventh floors before the blaze was brought under control, authorities said. Seventeen people were rescued. A separate high-rise in the central Pechersk district was also hit and had fire damage across three floors.
Drone fragments fell in an open area in an eastern district, and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported disruptions to the city’s power and water supplies. Ukraine’s energy ministry said on Telegram that a “massive combined enemy attack on energy infrastructure facilities is underway,” and that energy workers would begin damage assessments and restoration work “as soon as the security situation allows.”
The strikes came amid reciprocal violence across the border. Ukrainian air strikes in Russia’s Rostov region killed at least three people, the acting governor, Yuri Sliusar, said. In Russia’s Krasnodar border region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said a “massive” overnight Ukrainian attack wounded at least six people and damaged about 20 homes across five municipalities, calling it “one of the Kyiv regime’s most sustained and massive attacks.”
The assaults coincide with a renewed diplomatic push to halt the war. U.S. President Donald Trump gave Kyiv until Nov. 27 to respond to a proposed 28-point plan intended to end the fighting, a timeline and blueprint that has unsettled many European leaders. The initial U.S. proposal hewed close to hardline Russian demands — including territorial concessions and limits on Ukraine’s military — prompting widespread criticism. A joint U.S.-Ukrainian statement after emergency talks in Geneva said an “updated and refined peace framework” was being developed and asserted that “any future agreement must fully uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described his country as in a “critical moment” as air warnings sounded nationwide. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of further territorial grabs should Kyiv reject negotiations, while Western leaders signaled skepticism that a deal could be reached within the U.S. deadline.
The conflict, now more than three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, has left tens of thousands of civilians and service members dead and forced widespread destruction across occupied and contested areas.
Countries supporting Kyiv are due to hold a video call after the Geneva talks to discuss the updated framework and coordination of support.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
