Russia carried out a massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight as Kyiv is set to meet with the United States amid ongoing diplomatic efforts toward a peace agreement.
Moscow launched 653 drones and 51 missiles, which triggered air raid alerts across Ukraine, the country’s air force said, adding that Ukrainian forces were able to shoot down and neutralise 585 drones and 30 missiles.
A total of 29 locations were struck, wounding at least eight people, including three in Kyiv.
“There have also been strikes on industrial facilities and residential buildings in the Kyiv region,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, “The Dnipro, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Lviv, Volyn, and Mykolaiv regions were also affected”.
Zelenskyy added that energy facilities were the main targets of the attack, but that also a main railway station building in Fastiv was struck, an attack which he called “meaningless from a military point of view” and points out that Moscow “could not have been unaware of this”.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defenses had shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Saturday.
According to Russian Telegram news channel Astra, Ukraine hit Russia’s Ryazan Oil Refinery.
Regional governor Pavel Malkov said a residential building was damaged due to the drone attack and noted drone debris fell at an industrial facility, but he did not mention the refinery.
Ukraine has intensified its campaign against Russia’s energy infrastructure, which Kyiv claims is a key source for funding Moscow’s full-scale invasion, as it looks to pressure the Kremlin into ceasing hostilities and engaging in peace efforts.
For its part, Russia frequently targets Ukraine’s energy grid, seeking to deprive the country of heat, electricity, and running water during the harsh winter months.
Peace negotiations underway
The wave of attacks coincide as Ukrainian and US officials are set to meet on Saturday for a third day of talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
The United States has gone back and forth with talks between Ukraine and Russia, trying to broker a peace deal. However, Kyiv aned its European allies have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of faking interest in peace efforts, after its previous talks with the US last week resulted in little breakthrough or compromise.