In a dramatic escalation coinciding with high-stakes diplomacy, Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine on Saturday. The attack, one of the largest in recent months, targeted critical energy infrastructure and came as U.S. and Ukrainian officials engaged in a third day of talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year-long conflict.
Scale of the Overnight Assault
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the wide-reaching assault involved a staggering 653 drones and 51 missiles. Ukrainian defenses were active throughout the night, managing to shoot down 585 drones and 30 missiles. Despite these efforts, officials confirmed that at least 29 locations were struck, triggering air raid alerts across the nation.
Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko reported that the attacks wounded at least eight people. In the Kyiv region alone, local officials confirmed a minimum of three casualties. The strikes reached as far west as the Lviv region, demonstrating the extensive range of the bombardment.
Critical Infrastructure Under Fire
The national energy operator, Ukrenergo, stated that the barrage constituted a "massive missile-drone attack" on power stations and other energy facilities in several regions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that energy sites were the primary targets, a strategy Kyiv and its Western allies condemn as an attempt to weaponize winter by denying civilians heat and power.
In a particularly symbolic blow, a drone strike "burned down" the main railway station building in Fastiv, a city in the Kyiv region. Zelenskyy posted about the incident on social media, calling the attack on civilian infrastructure militarily meaningless.
A grave nuclear safety concern emerged as the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant temporarily lost all off-site power. The plant, under Russian control but not in operation, requires constant electricity to cool its six shut-down reactors and prevent a potential catastrophe.
Diplomatic Talks Continue Amid Violence
The assault unfolded as diplomatic efforts continued thousands of miles away. U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Steve Witkoff and former President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov for a second day in Florida on Friday.
The parties stated they would reconvene for a third day of discussions on Saturday, having made progress on a security framework for a postwar Ukraine. However, they issued a sobering caveat, noting that any "real progress toward any agreement" ultimately hinges on "Russia's readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace."
The talks are part of a U.S.-mediated push by the Trump administration to broker an end to the war, though details of the proposal remain closely guarded. The officials provided only broad outlines of the advancements made so far.
Cross-Border Strikes and Regional Fallout
In a sign of the conflict's expanding nature, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses shot down 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight. Independent Telegram news channel Astra reported that Ukraine struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery, sharing footage of a significant fire. The Associated Press could not independently verify the video.
Ryazan regional Governor Pavel Malkov acknowledged drone debris fell on an "industrial facility" and damaged a residential building but did not specifically mention the refinery. Ukraine has conducted a months-long campaign of long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, aiming to cripple Moscow's crucial war-funding export revenue.
This latest cycle of violence and diplomacy underscores the brutal reality of the war: even as negotiators sketch frameworks for peace, the battlefield and civilian centers remain violently contested. The international community watches closely, hoping the talks in Florida can forge a path that the barrage on Saturday has made all the more urgent.
