Russian Missile Attack on Kyiv Kills at Least Five

Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv early Thursday, killing at least five people and injuring more than two dozen, while damaging buildings and leaving parts of the Ukrainian capital without power.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said people were trapped in one residential building and fires had broken out in several locations. Non-residential buildings, warehouses and a children’s hospital were also hit. Another person was killed in the Kyiv region.

A Reuters witness heard more than a dozen explosions. Ukrainian emergency services released footage of firefighters battling a blaze and helping people escape from damaged buildings.

In response, Poland launched defensive air operations to protect its airspace.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this month that Kyiv had presented proposals for a plan to end the war to US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. He has also repeatedly requested interceptor missiles to defend against Russian missile strikes.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow had not received any specific proposals for new meetings with US negotiators but was prepared to arrange one at short notice.

(Reuters, bak)