Russian Attacks Kill Two in Ukraine as Kyiv Pushes for Peace Talk

Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine using missiles and hundreds of drones, killing two people and injuring at least 15 others, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The attacks caused fires and significant damage across multiple regions, including the capital Kyiv.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia deployed 426 drones and 24 missiles during the assault, with 23 drones hitting their targets. In Kyiv, explosions lit up the night sky as the distinctive whine of drone engines echoed through the city.

“Russia’s attacks are always against humanity. A kindergarten, residential buildings, and other civilian infrastructure burned in Kyiv,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram.

Ukrainian Counterattacks Disrupt Moscow Airports

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones targeted sites in Russia, leading to chaos at several airports in the Moscow region. Russian state media reported major disruptions, with thousands of passengers stranded due to canceled or delayed flights.

Russia's defense ministry said it had intercepted 117 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 30 over the Moscow area.

No End in Sight to War

Now in its fourth year, the full-scale war shows little sign of resolution. Despite efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to secure a ceasefire, the conflict continues to escalate.

Zelenskiy has expressed a desire to accelerate negotiations and has proposed new talks next week. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Russian state TV that while President Vladimir Putin remains open to peace talks, Russia's primary military objectives have not changed.

Last week, Trump announced a fresh round of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, including Patriot missile defense systems, in a sign of growing frustration with Putin. The European Union also imposed new sanctions targeting Russia’s oil and energy sectors.

“Only real pressure on Russia can stop this aggression,” Zelenskiy said on Monday.

Putin’s Demands, Western Response

Putin has yet to accept Trump’s proposal for an unconditional ceasefire, which Kyiv immediately backed. According to sources, Russia’s peace terms include:

• A legally binding commitment that NATO will not expand eastward

• Ukrainian neutrality and limits on Ukraine’s military

• Recognition of Russian territorial gains

Zelenskiy has rejected these demands, reaffirming Ukraine’s right to join NATO and refusing to recognize Russian control over occupied regions.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, visiting Kyiv on Monday, said the latest EU sanctions package was a necessary step to raise pressure on Moscow. “It increases the cost of this unbelievable war,” he said after surveying sites hit by Russian airstrikes.

Widespread Damage Across Ukraine

In Kyiv, the latest wave of attacks damaged a central subway station, shops, commercial buildings, homes, and a kindergarten. Many residents sought shelter in underground stations. Shattered glass and scorched walls marked the aftermath of a drone strike on an apartment building.

In the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk, the mayor described the overnight assault as the worst since the war began. Four people, including a child, were injured in the region, according to the State Emergency Service.

In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, 12 strikes overnight ignited a fire at a civilian industrial site, the city’s mayor reported.