A major Russian aerial assault struck the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday, 27 December 2025, wounding at least eleven people. The attack, involving ballistic missiles and drones, came just a day before a pivotal meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump.
Capital Under Fire for Hours
The bombardment began in the early morning and continued for several hours, with explosions reported across the city as day broke. According to local authorities, the strikes targeted multiple districts, causing significant damage to residential and industrial infrastructure.
The head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, stated via Telegram that the attack affected seven separate locations within the city. Among the wounded were two children, highlighting the civilian toll of the assault.
Widespread Damage and Emergency Response
Emergency services were deployed across Kyiv to tackle fires and rescue casualties. A significant fire broke out in an 18-storey residential building in the Dnipro district, requiring a major response from fire crews.
Further damage was reported at a 24-storey residential block in the Darnytsia district, with additional fires igniting in the Obolonskyi and Holosiivsky districts. In the wider Kyiv region, the strikes hit both industrial and residential buildings. In a dramatic rescue operation in the Vyshhorod area, emergency workers pulled one person from beneath the rubble of a destroyed house.
The state energy company, Ukrenergo, was forced to introduce emergency power outages across the capital as a direct result of the damage inflicted by the attacks.
Attack Precedes Critical Diplomatic Talks
This large-scale offensive occurred on the eve of a highly anticipated meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump, scheduled for Sunday. The leaders are set to discuss potential pathways to end the nearly four-year-long conflict.
President Zelenskyy indicated the agenda would cover crucial issues, including security guarantees for Ukraine and the ongoing territorial disputes in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. The timing of the attack underscores the intense pressure on Ukraine as it seeks continued international support.
The assault represents a significant escalation in hostilities ahead of diplomatic efforts, casting a shadow over the prospects for immediate peace negotiations and demonstrating the war's continued brutality against civilian populations.
