Russian missiles and drones strike Kyiv ahead of Ukraine-US talks, injuring at least eight

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital early Saturday, wounding at least eight people , including a 16-year-old, just a day before high-level talks between Ukraine and the United States aimed at ending the nearly four-year-old war.

Explosions echoed across Kyiv for hours as ballistic missiles and drones struck multiple parts of the city. The assault began in the early morning and was still ongoing at daybreak, according to local authorities.

The attack comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to meet US President Donald Trump on Sunday, with discussions expected to focus on security guarantees, territorial disputes, and the future of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrainian officials said the timing of the strike appeared intended to exert pressure ahead of diplomatic negotiations.

Russia has repeatedly said its strikes are aimed at degrading Ukraine’s military infrastructure and preventing Western-backed security arrangements it views as a threat to its national interests. Moscow has also framed recent escalations as retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory and as part of its broader objective to secure control over disputed regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Kyiv’s City Military Administration chief Tymur Tkachenko said at least seven locations across the capital were affected. A fire broke out in an 18-story residential building in the Dnipro district, prompting emergency crews to rush to the scene. Another strike hit a 24-story residential building in the Darnytsia district, while additional fires were reported in the Obolonskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.

In the wider Kyiv region, strikes damaged industrial facilities and residential homes, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. In the Vyshhorod area, rescuers pulled one person from under the rubble of a destroyed house.

Ukraine’s air defence systems were activated across the capital during the attack, though authorities did not immediately provide details on intercepted targets or the full extent of the damage.

The latest strike underscores the fragile security situation even as diplomatic efforts intensify, highlighting the challenges facing negotiations to bring an end to Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.