A significant assault by Russian forces on Kyiv overnight indicates that Moscow “doesn’t desire peace,” as stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday while he readied for new peace negotiations.
Zelensky expressed these remarks while traveling to Florida, where he is set to meet US President Donald Trump on Sunday to review a recently established 20-point peace proposal agreed upon by American and Ukrainian representatives.
According to local officials, the 10-hour missile and drone assault aimed at Ukraine’s capital resulted in two fatalities and 32 injuries.
Consequent damage to energy systems left 40% of housing in Kyiv and surrounding areas without heating, per Oleksiy Kuleba, Ukraine’s development minister.
Russia’s defense ministry stated that long-range precision munitions were utilized to strike energy installations, which it claimed were being exploited “for the benefit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.”
In a Telegram post, Zelensky reported that nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles were aimed at Kyiv, hitting both energy and civilian facilities.
Images depicted severe damage to apartment buildings and homes engulfed in flames following the attacks.
The apartment complex of BBC journalist Anastasiya Gribanova was affected, resulting in fire on higher floors. Gribanova, who was in the building’s elevator at that moment, remained uninjured.
ReutersUkraine’s State Emergency Service reported that 68 individuals were evacuated from a senior living facility in the eastern district of Darnytskyi.
“Although Russian representatives engage in lengthy discussions, in fact, the Daggers [missiles] and Shaheds [drones] are talking for them,” Zelensky noted on Telegram, stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unwilling to conclude the conflict.
“This troubling conduct can only be addressed with genuinely robust actions. The United States has this capability, Europe possesses this ability, and numerous allies also have this potential,” he stated, calling on partners to demonstrate strength against Russian hostility.
The incident prompted Poland, sharing a 530km-long (320 miles) border with western Ukraine, to ready its fighter jets, ground-based air defense units, and radar systems.
Later on Saturday morning, Poland determined that its airspace had not been breached.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its air defense forces intercepted and eliminated nearly 200 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions in Russia, including eight over Moscow.
Zelensky had a brief meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Saturday, just ahead of his scheduled discussion with Trump in Florida.
Speaking from Nova Scotia, Zelensky remarked that the latest shelling of Kyiv was “Russia’s reply [to] our peace initiatives and this truly illustrates that Putin is not interested in peace.”
Carney committed $2.5 billion CAD (£1.35 billion) in economic aid to Ukraine, acknowledging that “enduring peace” would necessitate “a cooperative Russia”.
Zelensky subsequently held a conversation with European leaders to address diplomatic “priorities” prior to his meeting with Trump, asserting that “firm positions are required” to advance the proposal.
Security assurances and territorial compromises for Ukraine are slated to return to discussions, concerns on which Russia has historically been hesitant to negotiate.
Additionally on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a command center supervising Moscow’s military actions, as reported by Russian news outlet TASS.
Dressed in military attire, Putin stated that if Kyiv is disinclined to settle the dispute peacefully, Russia would achieve its goals through military means, according to remarks in state media.
ReutersThe newly established 20-point proposal is an amended version of a previous 28-point plan crafted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which was largely perceived as overly advantageous to Russia.
The president of Ukraine has expressed hope regarding the revised draft, labeling it as “a foundational text for resolving the conflict,” though Trump cautioned that Zelensky “doesn’t possess anything until I give my approval” in a conversation with Politico.
The draft is said to encompass security guarantees from the US, NATO, and European partners for a coordinated military reaction should Russia re-invade Ukraine.
Control over Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region has posed challenges in negotiations thus far; however, Zelensky has now suggested that a “free economic zone” might be considered.
Trump conveyed to Politico that he anticipates reviewing the fresh draft on Sunday.
“I believe it will go well with him. I think it will go well with [Vladimir] Putin,” Trump said during the interview, adding that he looks forward to a conversation with Russia’s president “soon”.
