Russian aerial bombardments left four people dead in Ukraine overnight as both nations brace for the arrival of U.S. representatives seeking to restart stalled peace negotiations to end the four-and-a-half-year conflict.
The scheduled mission of Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—son-in-law to U.S. President Donald Trump—aims to reignite diplomatic talks during a surge in long-range strikes.
While ground forces remain mostly gridlocked along the 1,250-kilometer (775-mile) front line, air raids have intensified, with Moscow frequently deploying high-speed, jet-propelled drones that keep sirens wailing across Kyiv.
The latest assault occurred despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announcement proposing a temporary pause in airstrikes during the envoys’ arrival and urging Moscow to match the gesture.
”Just as we did during previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely,” Zelenskyy said in a post on social media. “There will be no airstrikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no airstrikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks and handle the logistical matters related to this American visit.”
In southern Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, four people died and five sustained injuries in a strike on an industrial facility, according to Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the local military administration. Another attack in the Nikopol district left a 62-year-old man injured and damaged several homes along with an apartment complex.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed it targeted two metallurgical sites in the area, claiming they serve as “major suppliers of metal products for Ukraine’s military production.”
Overnight strikes in the Kyiv region injured two people, reported Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration. A fire ignited by a strike in the Boryspil district partially destroyed a nine-story residential tower.
In the southern Mykolaiv region, Russian drones repeatedly struck a commercial shopping center, damaging stores and igniting fires that injured a 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl. Emergency responders were repeatedly forced to retreat due to the threat of follow-up attacks before resuming operations.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched ballistic missiles from Rostov and Voronezh, alongside 167 attack drones—including Shahed models (roughly half jet-powered), Geran variants, and decoys. Air defenses intercepted or neutralized 128 of the incoming drones.
Across the border in Russia’s Belgorod region, local authorities reported three people wounded, including a 14-year-old girl, following Ukrainian strikes. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its forces downed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight.