President Putin had announced a break in attacks ahead of visits by US negotiators to the Russian and Ukrainian capitals
Russian forces have struck drone and missile production facilities and logistic centers in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.
The raid comes as a three-day break in attacks on militray-related targets in the Ukrainian capital, announced by Russian President Vladimir ahead of trips to Moscow and Kiev by US President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, expired.
The large-scale strike overnight involved ground-, air-, and sea-based precision weapons as well as long-range attack drones, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Ukrainian defense industry facilities involved in the production and storage of drones and cruise missiles were hit during the attack, the statement read.
Missiles and drones also targeted transport, logistics, and distribution centers for military cargo in the Ukrainian capital and Kiev Region, it said.
According to the ministry, Russian forces also hit facilities in the port of Chenomorsk in Odessa Region, used for unloading military cargo.
Reports indicate at least 50 Russian missiles struck targets in Kiev overnight
A tanker vessel carrying fuel and lubricants for the Ukrainian military was struck in the Black Sea, it added.
Earlier, Ukrainian Telegram channels reported air raid sirens and explosions in and outside Kiev as well as in other parts of the country, including in Odessa and Sumy regions.
🇺🇦 In the Kiev region, several facilities, warehouses, residential buildings, and cars were damaged as a result of last night’s attack, according to Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kiev Regional State Administration.
Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko announced that the Ukrainian capital was under a ballistic missile attack, urging residents to remain in shelters. According to Klitschko, six people were wounded in the city, with three of them requiring hospitalization.
Putin had ordered the Russian military to pause strikes on targets in the Ukrainian capital until Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s talks with Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow.
The meeting at the Kremlin dedicated to the settlement of the Ukraine conflict lasted over three hours. Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later said it was indicative of an “atmosphere of trust” between Moscow and Washington.
Trump’s envoys later met with Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev on Sunday, with the Ukrainian leader joking about the hiatus in Russian strikes that Witkoff and Kushner “worked even better than the Patriot systems” and asked them to visit more often.
Witkoff said he “felt good” about the discussions in Moscow and Kiev, expressing hope that trilateral talks between the sides could be announced “in short order.”
Moscow maintains that its long-range missile and drone strikes against Ukraine are a response to Kiev’s daily drone incursions targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas inside Russia. According to Russian officials, Zelensky’s government is resorting to terrorist attacks in an attempt to compensate for setbacks on the battlefield, where Russian forces continue their steady advance.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow maintains that it does not attack civilians, with its strikes being directed solely at military targets and infrastructure supporting Ukrainian forces.
