Russia launched a massive drone and missile barrage against Kyiv early on Saturday, using nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles including ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The attack targeted energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands without power in freezing temperatures. One person was killed and two dozen wounded during the ten-hour assault.
Zelenskyy is en route to Florida for face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, having stopped in Canada to meet Prime Minister Mark Carney. Carney announced an additional $2.5bn (£1.85bn) in economic aid and condemned the 'barbaric' attack, stating that a just peace requires a 'willing Russia'. EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine, with von der Leyen vowing to maintain pressure on the Kremlin in 2026.
Zelenskyy said the overnight bombings demonstrated that international pressure on Russia is insufficient. 'If Russia turns even the Christmas and New Year period into a time of destroyed homes and burnt apartments, then this sick activity can only be responded to with truly strong steps,' he said. He noted that the United States and Europe have the capability to respond but need to use it.
The Ukrainian leader described the upcoming talks with Trump as intended to 'refine things as much as we possibly can'. A proposed 20-point peace plan is '90% ready', Zelenskyy said, though he would need to seek public approval if he fails to secure a strong position on territory. Ukraine has pushed for security guarantees based on Nato's Article 5 mutual defence pledge, though Moscow's acceptance remains unclear.
Russia's defence ministry claimed to have downed 111 Ukrainian drones in what appeared to be retaliatory strikes and said it had captured the towns of Myrnograd and Guliaipole in eastern Ukraine. The attack forced Polish fighter jets to scramble and temporarily closed two airports in south-eastern Poland. Ukraine's foreign minister Andrii Sybiha reported that a third of Kyiv was without heating, with temperatures around 0C (32F).
