Quick Read
- Kyiv was hit by missile and drone strikes affecting seven city locations, injuring at least 19 people.
- Polish fighter jets scrambled as Russian attacks neared the border; airports in Rzeszow and Lublin closed temporarily.
- Key peace talks between Ukraine, the US, and Europe are underway, focusing on a 20-point plan and security guarantees.
In the early hours of Saturday, Kyiv woke to the sound of powerful explosions. Missiles and drones rained down on the Ukrainian capital, triggering fires in residential high-rises and sending emergency crews racing through the city. According to the Ukrainian air force and local officials, at least seven locations across Kyiv were hit, including an 18-storey building in the Dnipro district and a 24-storey tower in Darnytsia. The Holosiivsky and Obolonskyi districts also saw fires ignite amid the chaos.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that nineteen people were injured, with eleven hospitalized. Among the wounded were two children, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the strikes. Power outages swept through the wider region, particularly around Brovary, compounding the hardship for residents already bracing for a winter under siege.
What makes these attacks especially jarring is their timing. This weekend, Kyiv is at the center of high-stakes peace negotiations involving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, and key European leaders. The talks, spurred by a revised 20-point peace plan, aim to bring an end to the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war. Yet, as diplomats work behind closed doors, the violence outside seems to defy the promise of progress.
Across the border, the fallout reverberated. Polish fighter jets scrambled in response to the Russian strikes, forcing the temporary closure of Rzeszow and Lublin airports in southeastern Poland. The proximity of the attacks to Poland—a NATO member—served as a stark reminder of the war’s potential to spill beyond Ukraine’s borders.
President Zelenskyy, in a statement after the attack, asserted that international pressure on Moscow remains ‘insufficient.’ He called for ‘truly strong steps’ from the US, Europe, and other partners, emphasizing that Russia’s willingness to target civilians—even during Christmas and New Year—demands a forceful response. Zelenskyy’s tone was resolute: ‘The key is to use it,’ he said, urging allies to deploy their full capabilities.
The diplomatic front is equally fraught. Zelenskyy and Trump are set to meet in Florida on Sunday to hammer out details of the peace plan, which is reportedly ‘about 90% ready.’ Zelenskyy has indicated openness to putting the plan to a referendum, provided Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire for its implementation. The plan’s core issues revolve around security guarantees for Ukraine—ideally modeled on NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense pledge—and thorny territorial questions, especially in the Donbas region and around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with other European leaders, will join the discussions via a call, reinforcing the transatlantic effort to forge a lasting peace. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke with French and German leaders, underscoring the need for continued coordination.
Yet, the path to peace is littered with obstacles. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova acknowledged ‘slow but steady progress’ in talks but gave no sign Moscow would withdraw from occupied territories. Instead, Russia has demanded that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory it holds in Donbas—an ultimatum Kyiv flatly rejects.
Recent battlefield developments underline the volatility. Russian troops have taken control of Kosivstseve in Zaporizhzhia, while Ukrainian forces have struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region. Ukrainian long-range drone strikes aim to disrupt Moscow’s oil revenue, a key driver of its military campaign. Meanwhile, Russian overnight drone strikes have damaged vessels flagged from Slovakia, Palau, and Liberia in Odesa and Mykolaiv ports, intensifying the pressure on Ukraine’s vital maritime infrastructure.
Amid these escalations, the deployment of Russia’s new nuclear-capable hypersonic ballistic missiles in Belarus adds another layer of tension. According to researchers cited by Reuters, these weapons extend Moscow’s reach deeper into Europe. Belarusian officials claim the move is a response to ‘aggressive actions’ by the West, though they insist it won’t alter the balance of power.
The war’s cost is measured not just in territory or geopolitics, but in the daily lives of ordinary Ukrainians. As leaders debate security guarantees and reconstruction funds, families in Kyiv sift through the rubble of their homes, wondering what ‘peace’ will mean for them.
With the peace plan nearing completion, Zelenskyy faces a difficult choice: secure a ‘strong’ position on territory and security, or seek public approval via referendum if compromises must be made. The outcome hinges on Russia’s willingness to pause hostilities and negotiate in good faith. As Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov put it, ‘Without an adequate resolution of the problems at the origin of this crisis, it will be quite simply impossible to reach a definitive accord.’
The coming days will be decisive. Will international diplomacy break the cycle of violence—or will Kyiv’s battered skyline become a symbol of another missed opportunity?
The facts reveal a city and nation caught between hope and devastation. As missile strikes shatter Kyiv’s calm, the urgency for meaningful peace grows sharper than ever. The current talks represent a rare convergence of global will, but unless all parties confront the root causes and commit to real security for Ukraine, the suffering is likely to continue. The stakes could not be higher—for Kyiv, for Ukraine, and for the stability of Europe itself.