NATO nations scrambled fighter jets as Vladimir Putin savaged Ukraine with one of the war’s most brutal missile and drone onslaughts.
Russian forces unleashed 51 missiles and 653 drones overnight into Saturday – even as Washington insisted ‘constructive discussions’ had been held in peace talks.
The strikes landed just hours after the US revealed Trump aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had hosted Ukrainian officials in Florida for talks on a potential peace deal.
It came amid a flurry of Western diplomatic activity – with Sir Keir Starmer due to meet Volodymyr Zelensky along with the French and German leaders in Downing Street on Monday as discussions on ending the war continue.
The Prime Minister will use the meeting with Mr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to underline the UK’s support for Ukraine.
They will also discuss ongoing talks between US and Ukrainian officials aimed at finding an agreement on guaranteeing Ukraine’s post-war security.
Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 585 drones and 30 missiles, the air force said, adding that 29 locations were struck.
Electricity outages and heating cuts hit Ukraine early today in a savage attack on civilian infrastructure as temperatures sank below zero.
A large thermal power plant in Kryvyi Rih – Volodymyr Zelensky’s birthplace – suffered a direct hit with homes also damaged.
In Kyiv region, the Bila Tserkva power plant was struck, the railway station in Fastiv was gutted, and Vyshhorod suffered critical damage.
These were among multiple key facilities hit on a night and early morning from hell across Ukraine involving hundreds of drones as well as hypersonic missiles.
Railways and military airfields were also targeted in strikes intended to force Ukrainians to buckle to Vladimir Putin and accept a detrimental peace deal.
Damage to essential supplies was recorded in Lutsk, Poltava, Rivne, and Chernihiv regions.
Hits were also sustained in Sumy, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, and Odesa regions.
The scale of the blitzkrieg – involving Tu-95MS and Tu-160MS strategic bomber aircraft – forced NATO state Poland to scramble warplanes amid fears the ballistic and cruise missiles could threaten alliance territory.
‘Due to the activity of long-range Russian air forces carrying out strikes on Ukrainian territory, military aviation has begun operating in Polish airspace,’ said a statement.
‘The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has activated the necessary forces and resources at its disposal.
‘Fighter aircraft have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached a state of readiness.
‘These actions are preventative in nature and aimed at securing and protecting airspace, especially in areas ….adjacent to the threatened areas.’
A 12-year-old boy died in Dnipro from the Russian strikes – the latest child to be killed by the Kremlin’s armed forces in a war that has lasted almost four years.
In Kyiv, residents took shelter in underground metro stations.
Ukraine staged overnight strikes on a key oil refinery, aiming to harm Putin’s oil supplies but not hurt civilians.
The Ryazan refinery – one of the largest in Russia and critical to capital city Moscow – was in flames.
It was the ninth time Ukrainian drones had struck the Ryazan refinery this year.
Ukraine fears the US could withdraw from the peace process if Putin refuses to settle.
The country’s military commander in chief admitted this was a problem but vowed his country would fight on against the Russian aggressor.
‘We hope that they will continue to provide full support,’ said General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
‘But we also hope that our European partners and allies, if necessary, will be ready to provide everything necessary for our just war against the aggressor.’
At least eight people were wounded in the attacks, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said.
Drone sightings were reported as far west as Ukraine’s Lviv region.
Russia carried out a ‘massive missile-drone attack’ on power stations and other energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions, Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo, wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that energy facilities were the main targets of the attacks, also noting that a drone strike had ‘burned down’ the train station in the city of Fastiv, located in the Kyiv region.
Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said a residential building had been damaged in a drone attack and that drone debris had fallen on the grounds of an ‘industrial facility,’ but did not mention the refinery.
Months of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries have aimed to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue the war.
Meanwhile, Kyiv and its western allies say Russia is trying to cripple the Ukrainian power grid and deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call ‘weaponizing’ the cold.
Following Friday’s talks, the two sides also offered the sober assessment that any ‘real progress toward any agreement’ ultimately will depend ‘on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.’
The statement from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Ukrainian negotiators Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov came after they met for a second day in Florida on Friday.
They offered only broad brushstrokes about the progress they say has been made as Trump pushes Kyiv and Moscow to agree to a U.S.-mediated proposal to end nearly four years of war.
