Russia hammers Ukraine’s capital ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting

Zelenskyy accuses the Russian enactment of utilizing ‘every opportunity’ to inflict ‘greater suffering’ connected Ukraine.

Russia has carried retired drone and rocket strikes connected Ukraine’s superior Kyiv connected the eve of a cardinal gathering betwixt the United States and Ukrainian leaders, sidesplitting astatine slightest 1 idiosyncratic and leaving a 3rd of the metropolis without heat, according to section authorities.

Russian ballistic missiles and drones rocked Kyiv from the early hours of Saturday morning, wherever an aerial alert was successful spot for astir 10 hours.

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The attacks killed a 47-year-old pistillate and wounded astatine slightest 22 others, according to Kyiv’s politician and determination governor. Among those wounded were 2 children, said the caput of Kyiv’s City subject administration, Tymur Tkachenko.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the onslaught was “still ongoing” arsenic of 10:45am (08:45 GMT), with immoderate 500 drones and 40 missiles launched targeting “energy facilities and civilian infrastructure”. The aerial raid alert for the superior ended astatine 11:20am section clip (09:20 GMT).

Municipal employees and firefighters enactment astatine the tract of an flat gathering deed during Russian rocket and drone strikes successful Kyiv, Ukraine [Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters]

In summation to the casualties, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said determination was nary vigor successful one-third of the capital, wherever temperatures hovered astir freezing (0 ​degrees Celsius).

Some 320,000 households besides mislaid powerfulness successful the broader Kyiv region, which surrounds the superior but does not see it, Kyiv determination politician Mykola Kalashnyk said.

Russian forces are “trying to chopped disconnected each Ukrainians from our captious resources conscionable to frost us”, Kyiv-based writer Kristina Zelenyuk told Al Jazeera.

Upcoming bid talks

The Russian onslaught came arsenic Zelenskyy prepares to meet with United States President Donald Trump successful Florida connected Sunday for further talks connected however to extremity the astir four-year war.

Zelenskyy said they program to sermon information guarantees and questions implicit aboriginal territorial power – the main sticking points successful the negotiations.

Moscow demands that Ukraine retreat from the parts of the eastbound Donetsk portion that Russian troops person failed to inhabit during astir 4 years of war, arsenic it seeks afloat power of the Donbas, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Kyiv wants the warring to beryllium halted astatine the existent lines.

The US, seeking a compromise, has projected a escaped economical portion if Ukraine leaves parts of the Donetsk region. Zelenskyy told US quality tract Axios connected Friday that helium would question a stronger presumption for Ukraine but could enactment the US-backed program to a referendum if necessary.

Both Zelenskyy and Trump person expressed optimism astir the meeting, with the Ukrainian person saying astir components of a US-Ukraine statement had been ironed retired and that helium hopes to finalise a model connected Sunday.

“A batch tin beryllium decided earlier the New Year,” Zelenskyy posted connected societal media connected Friday.

But Saturday’s onslaught appeared to change Zelenskyy’s tone. In a station pursuing the aerial barrage, helium said Russia’s enactment “does not privation to extremity the war”, and that their drones and missiles talk louder than immoderate “lengthy talks” they engaged in.

Russia’s enactment aims “to usage each accidental to origin Ukraine adjacent greater suffering and summation their unit connected others astir the world”, said Zelenskyy.

Ahead of the gathering with Trump, Zelenskyy is scheduled to talk by telephone connected Saturday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and different European leaders, a committee spokesperson said.

Zelenskyy, who departed Ukraine connected Saturday, told reporters helium would besides marque a halt successful Canada to conscionable with Prime Minister Mark Carney up of his US trip.