• Russia strikes Kyiv with missiles and drones, killing at least one and injuring dozens.
• The attack comes ahead of a pivotal meeting between Ukraine's Zelenskyy and U.S. President Trump.
• Ukraine's President condemns Russia's actions as a sign they do not want to end the conflict.

In a major escalation, Russia launched an extensive attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, early Saturday morning, resulting in at least one death and over 27 injuries, just one day before crucial peace talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. The assault involved nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles, which targeted both civilian and energy infrastructure, leaving substantial damage across the city, with many areas experiencing power outages and lack of heating amid freezing temperatures, according to Reuters, HuffPost, and BBC.

Zelenskyy expressed concerns that this latest display of aggression from Russia demonstrates a clear unwillingness to engage in genuine peace talks, stating, “They do not want to end the war and seek to use every opportunity to cause Ukraine even greater suffering,” according to reporting from South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera. He noted that the air raid alert lasted nearly 10 hours, while images showed significant destruction to residential buildings and other infrastructure.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the strike was aimed at “energy infrastructure used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” asserting that this was a necessary response to Ukraine's alleged actions against civilian targets in Russia, as reported by NPR and CBS News. Zelenskyy and his aides are preparing to discuss security guarantees and territorial disputes in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions during their meeting with Trump.

Zelenskyy's remarks highlight the ongoing challenges surrounding territorial control, given that the current peace proposal includes a potential "free economic zone" if Ukraine were to concede certain areas. This has been a sticking point throughout the conflict, reflecting deep-rooted tensions in negotiations, according to Le Monde and Reuters.

The aftermath of the bombings also witnessed emergency services responding to numerous fires and evacuating residents from severely damaged buildings, underscoring the humanitarian impact of the strikes. Tyrmur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's City Military Administration, reported damages to over 10 residential buildings as people were rescued from the rubble, as detailed by HuffPost and BBC.