Russia hits Kyiv with missiles, drones ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meet on peace talks

By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to the Kyiv Independent on Saturday the capital was hit by a large-scale ballistic missile assault as Russia fired multiple Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, 4 Iskander ballistic missiles, and several Kalibr cruise missiles ahead of the Trump and Zelenskyy meeting on peace talks in Florida, cited monitoring sources.

Kyiv came under a large-scale missile and drone attack overnight on December 27, with multiple explosions reported across the Ukrainian capital and surrounding regions, media reported.

Numerous explosions throughout the capital were heard, as in the surrounding Kyiv Oblast, Kyiv Independent reported.

In Brovary a town about 20kms northeast of Kyiv, the strikes caused power outages affected the town and nearby areas.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the attack in a post on Telegram, urged residents to remain in shelters.

He wrote that “Explosions in the capital. Air defence forces are working. Stay in shelters!

Ukraine’s Air Force issued a series of urgent alerts, warned of unmanned aerial vehicles operating over Kyiv and nearby regions.

According to the Air Force, UAVs were detected over Kyiv itself, as well as in parts of the Kyiv region, including areas near Velyka Dymerka and west of the village of Pereyaslav, heading south.

UAV activities were also reported in the southern part of the Chernihiv region, moving toward Kyiv Oblast.

“Kyiv take cover! There is an attack UAV in the air over the city,” the Air Force warned in one of its alerts.

Zelenskyy spoke to reporters on Friday said the meeting could help move discussions closer to a settlement, though he cautioned that no final agreement should be expected immediately, media reported.

He stated that both sides would focus on resolving as many outstanding issues as possible.

Zelenskyy also said the 20-point peace plan proposed by US and Ukrainian officials is 90% ready and that talks with Trump would focus on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the role of its allies in ensuring stability after the war, as reported by media

Trump said that any peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would require his approval, Politico reported.

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump said. “So we’ll see what he’s got,” he added.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said that its forces have continued advancing on the frontlines in southern Ukraine while carrying out a series of large-scale strikes across Ukrainian territory in response to what it described as Ukrainian attacks on civilian targets inside Russia.

According to the ministry’s statement in Telegram, units of the Vostok Group of Forces advanced deeper into Ukrainian defensive positions and, following what it called “decisive actions”, captured the settlement of Kosovtsevo in the Zaporizhzhia region.

“The Vostok Group’s units continued to advance to the depths of the enemy’s defence and, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the settlement of Kosovtsevo in Zaporozhye region,” the statement read.

The Defence Ministry said that between December 20 and December 26, Russian forces conducted one “massive” and five “group” strikes against targets in Ukraine.

The strikes included the use of Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles.

It noted that the attacks were carried out in response to alleged Ukrainian “terrorist attacks” against civilian infrastructure in the Russian Federation.

According to the statement, the strikes targeted enterprises linked to Ukraine’s defence industry, energy facilities supplying those enterprises, and transport infrastructure and further claimed that the strikes hit airfields, ports, and depot infrastructure allegedly used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

“In response to the terrorist attacks launched by Ukraine against civilian facilities in the Russian Federation from 20 to 26 December 2025, the Russian Armed Forces carried out one massive and five group strikes including by Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missiles.

They hit enterprises of the Ukrainian defence industry, energy facilities providing them with work, transport, airfield, port and depot infrastructure used for the benefit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, assembly facilities, storage areas of long-range strike unmanned aerial vehicles, fuel and military equipment depots as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries,” the statement added.