Russian Drone Attacks Hit Kyiv Before Ceasefire Talks – Fires, Casualties Reported

© Efrem Lukatsky, AP

A Russian drone attack on Kyiv overnight left at least seven people dead and ten others injured, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday. The deadly strikes on the Ukrainian capital came ahead of Monday's US-mediated ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.

Drones Hit Many Places

At least seven people were killed after Russia launched a wave of drones across Ukraine overnight on Sunday, according to local Ukrainian officials and emergency teams.

Ceasefire Talks Soon

The attack on the Ukrainian capital came ahead of ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia in which Ukraine and Russia are expected to hold indirect US-mediated talks on Monday to discuss a pause in long-range attacks targeting energy infrastructure and civilian facilities.

Ukraine’s Plan for Peace Talks

The Ukrainian delegation is expected to meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia a day ahead of the indirect talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Ukraine is planning to send technical experts to discuss the details of the partial ceasefire.

Drones Cause Big Problems

Russia launched 147 drones across Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 97 and 25 others didn’t reach targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures. The attacks hit the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, and Donetsk regions, as well as the capital, Kyiv.

Fires and Damage in Kyiv

Three people, including a five-year-old child, were killed and 10 others were hurt in a drone attack on Kyiv, the city’s military administration said. Extended sounds of explosions were heard across the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of the night as the air raid siren blared for over five hours. Russian drones and debris from shot-down drones, which were flying at lower altitudes to dodge air defenses, fell on residential buildings.

Falling Drone Parts Start Fires

Two residential buildings in the district of Dnipro caught fire from falling drone debris, according to Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko. A fire broke out on the top floors of a 9-storey building, killing one woman, the State Emergency Service said.

More Fires in the City

In the district of Podil, a fire broke out on the 20th floor of a 25-storey building. In Holosiivskyi, fires broke out in a warehouse and office building, killing one person, according to the State Emergency Service.

More Deadly Attacks

Elsewhere, four people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine’s Donetsk region, regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said, including three who died in a strike on the frontline Ukrainian town of Dobropillya. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted on social media, saying these attacks, like the one in Kyiv, have become a daily reality for Ukraine.

Russia Shoots Down Drones

Also on Sunday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said it had shot down 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 29 over the region of Rostov and 20 more over southwestern Astrakhan. In Rostov, one person was killed and a car caught fire because of the Ukrainian drone attack, according to the area’s temporary governor, Yuri Slyusar.