Russian Drone and Missile Strikes Kill Six Across Ukraine as Peace Talks Stall and Winter Approaches

At least 25 people, including five children, were injured in Kyiv during the attack. (File)

A massive Russian offensive involving drones and missiles across Ukraine resulted in at least six fatalities, including a mother and her two young daughters, officials reported Wednesday. This occurs as US-led peace initiatives falter and Ukraine's president continues seeking additional military assistance from allies.

Successive waves of missiles and drones targeted at least eight Ukrainian cities overnight. In a village near Kyiv, a strike ignited a house where a mother and her daughters, aged 6 months and 12 years, were staying, according to regional administrator Mykola Kalashnyk.

Authorities confirmed that in Kyiv alone, at least 25 people were wounded, including five children.

During daylight hours on Wednesday, Russian drones struck a kindergarten in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, while children occupied the building, Mayor Ihor Terekhov stated. The attack killed one person and injured six others, though no children suffered physical injuries.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that many children were experiencing shock after being evacuated from the building by emergency personnel.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 405 attack and decoy drones plus 28 missiles at Ukraine, with Kyiv being the primary target.

US President Donald Trump's attempts to resolve the conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion over three years ago have not gained momentum. Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to deviate from his settlement conditions despite Ukraine offering a ceasefire and direct peace negotiations.

On Tuesday, Trump stated that his plan for a prompt meeting with Putin was suspended because he didn't want it to be "a waste of time." European leaders accused Putin of delaying tactics. Zelenskyy remarked Wednesday that Trump's proposal to freeze the conflict at current front line positions "was a good compromise" that could facilitate negotiations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated Wednesday that the planned summit requires careful preparation, suggesting a potentially lengthy process. "No one wants to waste time: neither President Trump nor President Putin," he said. "These are the two presidents who are accustomed to working efficiently with high productivity."

Zelenskyy urged the European Union, United States, and G7 nations to increase pressure on Russia to force negotiations.

He emphasized that Moscow can only be pressured "through sanctions, long-range (missile) capabilities, and coordinated diplomacy among all our partners."

Zelenskyy credited Trump's consideration of supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine for Putin's willingness to meet.

Military analysts note that Russia has not achieved significant battlefield advances in what has become a war of attrition, depleting Russian infantry while Ukraine faces manpower shortages. Both sides continue investing in long-range strike capabilities to target rear areas.

Ukraine's army general staff claimed their forces struck a chemical plant in Russia's Bryansk region Tuesday night using British-made Storm Shadow missiles. The facility reportedly produces gunpowder, explosives, missile fuel, and ammunition for Russia's military-industrial complex. Russian regional officials confirmed an attack but didn't mention the plant.

Russia's Defence Ministry stated its air defenses intercepted 33 Ukrainian drones over several regions overnight, including around St. Petersburg. Eight airports temporarily suspended operations due to the attack.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo, Norway, before proceeding to Stockholm, where he was expected to meet Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. This marks the beginning of what Zelenskyy described as a week of intensive diplomacy.

Additional international economic sanctions against Russia are likely to be discussed at Thursday's EU summit in Brussels. On Friday, the Coalition of the Willing—comprising 35 Ukraine-supporting countries—will convene in London.

Also Wednesday, Trump was scheduled to hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the White House. The alliance has been coordinating weapons deliveries to Ukraine, many purchased from the United States by Canada and European countries.

Moscow's attack, beginning overnight and continuing into Wednesday morning, also targeted energy infrastructure, causing rolling blackouts as Russia attempts to disable Ukraine's power grid before winter arrives.

In Kyiv, residents described the drone and missile bombardment. "We heard a loud explosion and then the glass started to shatter, and then everything was caught up in a burst of fire, the embers were everywhere," said Olena Biriukova, a 58-year-old apartment resident.

"It was very scary for kids," she added. "I never thought that this could happen in our neighborhood."

Zelenskyy reported that the Russian attack targeted ten regions in total: Kyiv, Odesa, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy, and Sumy.

Two additional fatalities were discovered in Kyiv's Dnipro district, where emergency services rescued ten people after drone debris ignited a fire on the sixth floor of a 16-story residential building.

In Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, emergency personnel responded after drone debris struck a 17-story residential building, causing fires across five floors. Fifteen people required rescue, including two children.