In an hours‑long nighttime barrage, Russian forces struck Kyiv with 21 ballistic missiles, destroying apartment buildings, energy facilities, a railway station, the subway system, shopping malls and businesses. The attacks killed at least two people and wounded 34, including five children, according to Ukrainian officials.

Simultaneously, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 808 drones launched from Ukraine toward Russian cities, with 630 aimed at Moscow. Two people were reported wounded in Russia as a result of the drone attacks.

Diplomatic developments

President Vladimir Putin said he agreed “in principle” to resume three‑way negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States, though no meeting date was set. The consent came during talks in St. Petersburg with Steve Witkoff, the envoy appointed by President Donald Trump, who had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway the day before.

Earlier this year, the three parties held three rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, but progress has been limited to prisoner exchanges, with no substantive breakthrough on ending hostilities.

Ukrainian response

President Zelenskyy condemned the latest attacks, saying there has been “no real change in Moscow’s attitude.” He urged Washington to provide more Patriot air‑defense ammunition and to increase sanctions on Russia to pressure a peace settlement.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the Russian strikes “brutal” and criticized what he described as Russian “humanism.”

U.S. involvement

While the Trump administration has agreed to a diesel import deal with Russia and eased certain sanctions, officials note that Patriot ammunition remains in short supply for Ukraine’s defense.

Witkoff faced criticism in both Ukraine and the United States for praising Putin as a “humanitarian” after the Russian leader ordered the release of an American teacher imprisoned on mercenary charges.

Winter concerns

Ukrainians are bracing for winter as Russian attacks increasingly target the power grid, a strategy Kyiv describes as “weaponizing winter.” The conflict, now in its fifth year, has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and thousands of civilian deaths.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.