Russia strikes Kyiv overnight as ceasefire talks stall

Russia unleashed a wave of drone and missile attacks on Kyiv and multiple Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least two people, as international efforts to secure a temporary pause in fighting falter.

Ukrainian authorities confirmed that a mother and her son were killed in the capital when a missile struck a residential building, leaving several others injured.

The assault marked one of the most sustained aerial bombardments in recent weeks, with kamikaze drones and missiles battering targets across the country.

Air raid sirens first sounded across the Kyiv region shortly after midnight, and Ukrainian air defense units remained active well into the late morning hours.

By 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT), drones were still reported flying over several areas, according to Ukraine’s air force.

“The attack was relentless,” said Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration. “Our air defenses intercepted many targets, but unfortunately, not all.”

The latest assault comes as U.S.-backed diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire or humanitarian pause have stalled.

Ukrainian officials accuse Moscow of exploiting the diplomatic uncertainty to intensify pressure on civilian populations and critical infrastructure.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes, calling them “cowardly acts of terror” and urging international allies to expedite air defense support.

“Every life lost is a call for the world to act faster,” Zelensky said in a statement.

Russia has not commented directly on the overnight barrage, though it has maintained that its military actions are aimed at weakening Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

The attack underscores the fragile security situation across Ukraine as the war drags into its third year, with both sides digging in and little sign of a breakthrough on the battlefield or at the negotiating table.