Ukraine’s capital woke to devastation as a Russian ballistic missile attack claimed one life and left four others injured, including a nine-year-old girl, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, confirmed that the assault hit multiple districts, including Holosiivskyi, Podilskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, and Obolonskyi, leaving residential areas and infrastructure damaged.
Ukraine’s Air Defences Hold the Line, But Not Without Cost
Ukraine’s military reported shooting down six of the seven missiles and an astonishing 71 drones overnight. But despite these efforts, destruction rained down.
The city of Kryvyi Rih was also targeted in the barrage, suffering significant damage, according to Dnipropetrovsk regional governor Serhiy Lysak.
Zelensky: ‘Putin is Not Preparing for Peace’
Following the attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky did not mince words:
“Putin continues to kill Ukrainians and destroy cities. Right now, we need unity and support from all our partners in the fight for a just end to this war.”
His statement comes amid a controversial shift in Ukraine’s approach to negotiations.
Could Territory Be the Key to Ending the War?
In a recent interview, Zelensky suggested that Ukraine may be open to territorial swaps as a bargaining tool in peace talks.
He floated the idea of returning parts of Russia’s Kursk region, currently under Ukrainian control after a military operation six months ago, in exchange for land occupied by Moscow’s forces in Ukraine.
It’s a move that signals a shift in strategy. Initially, the Kursk offensive was seen as a military manoeuvre to ease pressure on the front lines, but now, it appears to have become political leverage in the ongoing battle for Ukraine’s sovereignty.
All Eyes on the US: Zelensky’s High-Stakes Meeting
As the war drags on, Zelensky faces another challenge, keeping US support firmly in Ukraine’s corner.
On Friday, he will meet US Vice President JD Vance, a known sceptic of continued American military aid to Kyiv. With Washington reportedly eyeing Ukraine’s natural resources in return for ongoing assistance, Zelensky is gearing up for a high-stakes negotiation.
Ukraine’s fate may depend not only on the battlefield but also on diplomatic chess moves behind closed doors.
