In the early hours of Monday, Russia launched a barrage of drones and missiles against Ukraine, inflicting significant damage on residential neighborhoods and a nursery in Kyiv just days after President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a new attempt at peace negotiations.
Ukrainian authorities reported that six districts of the capital were set ablaze, with emergency services battling fires at a supermarket, apartment complexes, and the nursery. “The shelters themselves are no longer entirely safe, as the metro station behind me, which is being used as a shelter for the people of Kyiv, has been targeted,” observed French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot while visiting the battered Lukyanivka metro station.
President Zelensky described the strikes as “an assault on humanity,” confirming two fatalities and at least 15 injuries, among them a 12-year-old boy. Kyiv’s air force revealed that approximately 450 drones and missiles were involved in the attack, with damage also recorded in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, and Sumy regions.
Despite President Zelensky’s reiterated readiness for new talks with Moscow, there has been no official response from the Kremlin. This diplomatic hesitation comes as the United States, under President Donald Trump, demands progress toward peace or threatens sweeping new sanctions against Russia.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire at the last direct meeting in Istanbul led only to prisoner exchanges. Russia’s requirement for Ukraine to cede more land and reject Western military assistance continues to be a stumbling block, with Kyiv refusing to consider such conditions.
Civilian life in Moscow faced disruption as Vnukovo airport, a significant channel for government flights, briefly halted operations amidst Ukrainian drone activity. The chaos underlines the conflict’s cross-border impact on civilian infrastructure and daily life.
In parallel, the European Union announced a fresh package of sanctions, targeting Russian banks and further tightening restrictions on oil exports, to increase pressure on Moscow to negotiate.
okay.ng reports that French Foreign Minister Barrot’s presence in Kyiv signals steadfast support for Ukraine, with France pledging continued military and humanitarian assistance as the three-year-old war grinds on.
