Russia launched a fresh wave of ballistic missile and drone strikes on Kyiv early Tuesday, shortly after US peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner left Ukraine following talks aimed at reviving negotiations to end the war.
The attacks marked the end of a temporary three-day pause in strikes on the Ukrainian capital. The halt had been announced during the US diplomatic mission to Moscow and Kyiv, where the American envoys met Russian and Ukrainian officials in an effort to restart stalled peace talks.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said six people were injured in the latest attack. Explosions were reported across the capital, while fires broke out and emergency teams responded to damaged residential buildings. Ukrainian authorities said a five-storey apartment building and a three-storey residential structure were damaged by falling debris.
Residents were urged to remain in shelters as air-raid warnings continued. The strikes also prompted neighboring Poland, a NATO member, to activate military aviation operations as a precaution to protect its airspace from a possible violation.
The renewed bombardment came as Washington intensified diplomatic efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv back to direct negotiations. Witkoff and Kushner had previously met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow before traveling to Kyiv for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Following the meetings, US officials indicated that diplomatic efforts would continue, while the Kremlin said it had not ruled out resuming trilateral negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States. However, no concrete breakthrough or timetable for new talks has been announced.
The latest strikes underscore the fragile nature of the diplomatic process, with military attacks continuing despite renewed international efforts to secure a ceasefire.
Ukraine also reported Russian attacks elsewhere in the country, while Russian authorities said Ukrainian drone strikes caused damage and injuries in the Russian city of Saratov.
The escalation is likely to increase pressure on Washington, Moscow and Kyiv to translate recent diplomatic contacts into a sustained reduction in hostilities.