Ukraine War · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Russia Kills Two in Kyiv Drone Attacks After Zelenskyy Meets Trump
Two people were killed in Kyiv by a daytime drone attack. Dozens were wounded in Kyiv, with injuries reported around 23–25.
20 outlets told this the same way.
11 of 12 outlets skipped it: drone damage disrupted internet via damaged data centre equipment.
20outlets compared
Drones hit Kyiv, talks loom
Russia carried out daytime drone attacks on Kyiv and killed two people in the Ukrainian capital while injuring more than 30 others, according to local officials, hours after Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump discussed peace efforts. The attacks also killed four people in the front-line Donetsk region, as Russia used faster and high-flying jet drones that lasted for hours from the morning into early afternoon on Wednesday. Zelenskyy said on X that "Russia continues to turn civilian and critical infrastructure into targets: pharmaceutical facilities, gas stations, railways, communications infrastructure, and shopping malls," as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a Russian drone hit a nine-storey non-residential building.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "For now, there are no prerequisites for moving onto a peaceful negotiating track," while he said Russia remained open to peace talks. Zelenskyy met Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and discussed a potential bilateral ceasefire on energy-related targets, with Zelenskyy asking for increased supplies of US Patriot air defence missiles.
Death tolls vary, officials react
Kyiv authorities and outlets reported different casualty totals from the same daytime drone assault, with Vitali Klitschko saying two people were killed and 41 wounded in Ukraine’s capital as the attack stretched into Wednesday afternoon.
CNN said two people died and 25 more were injured after Russian drones targeted the city during daytime hours Wednesday, while Euronews said two people were killed and 23 were wounded.
Hromadske said Russian drone attacks on Kyiv killed 2 and injured 25 as strikes continued into the afternoon, and it reported that as of 1:50 p.m. 17 of the injured were being treated in Kyiv hospitals.
RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service said local officials reported at least two people were killed and 22 injured, as strikes were reported across several districts.
Zelenskyy’s diplomatic schedule placed the attacks immediately before his UN address, with the AP describing him as preparing for meetings with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly.
Energy truce demands, wider stakes
Zelenskyy pressed for an energy ceasefire while insisting on conditions, and he wrote on X that "This is the priority," as he described Ukraine’s readiness for an energy ceasefire. CNBC quoted Zelenskyy saying, "I'm ready anytime when all the sides will be ready," as he urged Trump to organize a trilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin and himself. Peskov said a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy before expert-level discussions would be a waste of time, and he added that Putin said Zelensky, if he wished, could come to Moscow.
CBC described how Ukraine and Russia traded fresh strikes on energy infrastructure overnight, with Ukraine striking two Russian oil refineries while Russia launched missiles at southern Ukraine, including an energy facility in the Poltava region that officials said could not be restored. Euronews said the Russian Defence Ministry reported that its forces struck Ukraine’s military-industrial and energy sector facilities, logistics centres and sea vessels overnight, while it said air defences intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones over multiple Russian regions.