Missiles hit Kyiv hours after warning

Russian forces launched a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv early on Saturday, hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was preparing a new wave of strikes on the country's energy network and bridges. Explosions were heard in the capital and its suburbs from shortly before 11pm on Friday, with further blasts reported at around 1am and 3am on Saturday. Ukraine's air force said at least six ballistic missiles were heading towards the capital shortly before 11pm.

Homes and a kindergarten damaged

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said debris from the attack struck a five-storey apartment building in the western Solomianskyi district. He wrote on Telegram that the enemy was hitting infrastructure with ballistic missiles, and warned residents to expect further strikes. The Kyiv City Military Administration said two people were injured and a building housing a kindergarten was damaged. Regional governor Tymur Tkachenko said a jet-powered drone attack also struck the Brovary district outside the capital.

Talks due in three days

The attack came three days before US-led talks in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, where Ukrainian and Russian negotiators are due to meet in a bid to end the war, now in its fifth year. Zelenskyy had told Ukrainians in his nightly address that intelligence showed Russia was preparing new strikes on energy targets, bridges across the Dnipro River and other civilian infrastructure. Kyiv has faced weeks of attacks on its power system, with long emergency blackouts, water shortages and halted metro services. On 3 November, Russia launched one of the largest attacks of the year on the energy sector, hitting facilities more than 20 times in 24 hours.