Russia launched a major drone attack on Kyiv on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 22, hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held talks with Donald Trump about efforts to end the war.
The strikes hit railway infrastructure, warehouses and fuel stations across the Ukrainian capital. Explosions were heard in the city and smoke rose above the centre, while officials described one of the heaviest attacks on Kyiv and surrounding areas since the summer.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said a drone struck a nine-storey non-residential building, along with a business centre and warehouses. Two petrol stations were also hit, including one operated by Ukrainian oil company Ukrnafta.
Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, chief executive of Ukraine’s railway operator, said railway facilities in Kyiv had been targeted and one employee was injured.
Katarina Mathernova, the European Union ambassador to Ukraine, said buildings near the EU delegation were burning. “This is the view from the windows of the EU delegation today. Buildings nearby are burning,” she said in a social media post.
Talks over an energy ceasefire
During his meeting with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Zelenskiy discussed a possible bilateral ceasefire covering attacks on energy infrastructure.
The Ukrainian president said he was ready for “any format” of such an agreement, provided Russia stopped its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. He also requested additional US Patriot air defence missiles ahead of an expected Russian winter campaign against Ukraine’s electricity network.
Mr Zelenskiy said no agreements had been reached during the talks. He is due to address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Earlier, he met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss ways of addressing Ukraine’s budget deficit, which he has linked to rising military spending and Russia’s intensifying air attacks.
Ukraine’s prospects of securing an energy truce were met with scepticism by Mykola Nechypurenko, an energy worker repairing damage to the power network.
“I don’t think they’ll agree on anything. As long as the war goes on, energy infrastructure remains under threat,” the 55-year-old said. “I don’t believe it will work. Not until the war ends.”
The Kremlin said there was still no basis for future peace talks with Ukraine and that no high-level meetings were planned.
