Russia launched a large-scale overnight drone and missile assault across Ukraine, killing two civilians near Kyiv and injuring several others, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday, just days before a new round of peace talks is expected to take place.
The attack came less than 24 hours after a Russian strike on a passenger train in northeastern Ukraine killed five people, intensifying concerns over civilian safety as diplomatic efforts continue.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired one Iskander-M ballistic missile and launched 146 drones overnight, adding that 103 of the drones were shot down by air defenses, according to a statement cited by Reuters.
Near the capital, a 17-story residential building was struck, killing a couple and injuring four others, including two children. Emergency services reported damage to the roof and shattered windows on the upper floors.
Marian Kushnir, a journalist who lives nearby, described the aftermath in an interview with Radio Free Europe. “When I carried her out, the girl started crying very hard, and then she began to shake violently,” he said. Kushnir added that the moment left a lasting impact on him after years of covering the war. “Holding a crying four-year-old child in my arms, I realized that her mother was dead.”
Read Also: Zelenskyy Confirms US Security Deal Reached Final Stage
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the strike on the Kyiv apartment building and another attack using short-range rockets on a residential area in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.
“We will respond fairly to Russia for this and other similar attacks,” Zelenskiy said in a post on social media, accusing Moscow of targeting civilian areas with no military objectives.
Ukraine and Russia held U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi last week, with additional meetings expected on Sunday. Despite the diplomatic efforts, both sides have continued to strike energy infrastructure and urban areas.
Russia also hit multiple locations across southern and central Ukraine, including Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kryvyi Rih, Ukrainian officials said.
Read Also: Russia Attacks Ukraine Energy Grid, Cuts Power To 1.2 million
In Odesa, which declared a day of mourning after a drone attack killed three people earlier this week, three more residents were injured in the latest strikes, according to Serhiy Lysak, head of the regional military administration.
Ukraine’s Sea Ports Authority reported that the Black Sea port of Pivdennyi came under attack but said port operations continued without disruption.
The latest strikes occurred as Ukraine was still reeling from Tuesday’s drone attack on a passenger train, which Zelenskiy described as an act of “terrorism.”
Russia did not immediately comment on the overnight attacks. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny deliberately targeting civilians in a war that is set to reach its four-year mark on February 24.