Russia-Ukraine war: Kyiv struck with missiles, drones; message for Trump ahead of Zelenskyy meet?

Ukraine’s capital came under a large-scale Russian missile and drone assault overnight on Friday (local time), triggering multiple explosions across Kyiv and surrounding regions and prompting authorities to issue nationwide air raid alerts, just a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida. Authorities urged residents to take shelter as air defences were activated. “Explosions in the capital. Air defense forces are operating. Stay in shelters!” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, as air raid sirens sounded across the city, reported AFP. Zalenskyy said Saturday’s attack on Kyiv shows that Russia “doesn’t want to end the war.”He made the comments ahead of his departure for a meeting in the US with Trump, aimed at ending the war.The Russians "do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering and increase their pressure on others around the world," Zelensky said after the Russian barrage pummelled the capital killing at least one person.Ukraine’s air force announced a nationwide air alert in the early hours, warning that drones and missiles were moving over several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv. “Kyiv, take cover! There is an attack UAV in the air over the city,” the Air Force said in one alert.According to the Kyiv Independent, citing monitoring sources, Russia launched a coordinated strike involving Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Iskander ballistic missiles and Kalibr cruise missiles, alongside unmanned aerial vehicles. Loud explosions were reported across central Kyiv as well as in parts of the wider Kyiv Oblast.The air force reported UAV activity over Kyiv itself and nearby areas, including Velyka Dymerka and regions west of Pereyaslav, while additional drones were detected in the Chernihiv region moving towards Kyiv Oblast. In Brovary, a town northeast of the capital, the strikes caused power outages affecting surrounding areas, the Kyiv Independent reported.The Polish air navigation services agency announced the temporary closure of the two southeastern airports, Rzeszow and Lublin, after the Polish armed forces deployed fighter jets in response to escalating Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine. The move was aimed at ensuring regional air safety amid the ongoing conflict.The attack comes at a critical diplomatic moment, a day after Zelenskyy confirmed that he would meet Trump in Florida on Sunday as part of ongoing efforts to explore a negotiated end to the war, now nearing its fourth year.Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy said the meeting could help move talks closer to a settlement, though he cautioned that no immediate breakthrough should be expected, according to CNN.Zelenskyy said a proposed 20-point peace plan developed by US and Ukrainian officials was “90 per cent ready” and that discussions would focus on long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and the role of its allies in post-war stability, CNN reported.Trump, however, struck a guarded note in comments reported by Politico, saying any agreement would require his approval.“He doesn't have anything until I approve it,” Trump said. “So we'll see what he's got.”Russia has accused Zelensky and his European allies of attempting to “torpedo” the US-brokered peace initiative.Details of the proposal, revealed by Zelensky earlier this week, outline a 20-point plan that would freeze fighting along current front lines.The plan would potentially allow Ukraine to withdraw troops from parts of the east, where demilitarised buffer zones could be established.Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry said its forces continue to advance on the frontlines in southern Ukraine while carrying out what it described as large-scale retaliatory strikes across the country.In a statement on Telegram, the ministry claimed that units of its Vostok Group of Forces had captured the settlement of Kosovtsevo in the Zaporizhzhia region.The ministry said that between December 20 and December 26, Russian forces carried out one “massive” and five “group” strikes using precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.It claimed the attacks targeted Ukraine’s defence industry, energy facilities, transport infrastructure and military logistics sites, describing them as retaliation for alleged Ukrainian attacks on civilian infrastructure inside Russia.Ukraine has not immediately commented on Russia’s battlefield claims.