Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv and surrounding areas killed at least three people early Saturday, local authorities said, just hours before a new round of peace negotiations was expected to begin amid growing international efforts to end the war.
The Kyiv City Military Administration said two people died in attacks on the capital. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 29 others were injured, adding that debris from intercepted drones damaged residential buildings and caused power outages in the western part of the city.
In the wider Kyiv region, which surrounds the capital, a separate combined drone and missile assault killed one woman and left eight others wounded, according to regional police.
The latest strikes came as Ukrainian negotiators prepared to meet U.S. officials this weekend, an official from the presidential administration said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions. A U.S. delegation is expected to travel to Moscow next week for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week released a 28-point plan to end the nearly four-year conflict. The proposal was seen as heavily favorable to Russia, prompting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to quickly engage with U.S. negotiators. European leaders have also moved to influence the process, worried about the implications for regional security.
Trump said Tuesday the plan had been refined and that envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Moscow for talks with Putin, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll would meet Ukrainian officials. He added that he may meet both Putin and Zelenskyy at a later stage if negotiations advance.
Zelenskyy on Friday announced the resignation of his chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who also served as Ukraine’s top negotiator, after anti-corruption investigators searched Yermak’s residence.
The unprecedented search at the highest level of government has put pressure on Zelenskyy, raising concerns that Kyiv’s negotiating strategy could face disruption at a critical moment as the United States pushes for a peace agreement.