Russian missile strike hits Kyiv, injures six amid peace talks

KYIV,: Hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war have suffered another setback after a Russian missile attack struck Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, injuring six people and damaging several residential buildings.

The attack took place on Wednesday night, just hours after Russia signalled its willingness in principle to resume peace negotiations with the United States, raising fresh questions about whether diplomatic efforts can deliver a lasting ceasefire.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that six people were injured in the strike, which also caused damage to multiple residential properties. Further details about the extent of the destruction were not immediately available.

The latest attack came as US President Donald Trump’s special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, stepped up diplomatic efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to an agreement aimed at ending the conflict.

Witkoff met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Tuesday after holding talks with Ukrainian leadership a day earlier. The meetings were part of Washington’s continuing efforts to revive negotiations and find a path towards ending the war.

Trilateral talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States were suspended in February. Since then, fighting has intensified, while Ukraine has faced shortages of Western-supplied air defence systems and interceptor missiles needed to protect its cities and critical infrastructure.

Trump said on Wednesday that he was speaking with Putin about ending the war and believed the two sides were closer to a peace agreement than ever before.

However, the missile strike on Kyiv has underscored the difficulties facing those diplomatic efforts. Continued attacks on urban areas threaten to undermine confidence in negotiations and complicate attempts to establish a ceasefire.

Trump has repeatedly expressed optimism about ending the conflict, but his administration has yet to secure an agreement that stops the fighting between Russia and Ukraine.

With diplomatic contacts continuing alongside military operations, the latest attack highlights the gap between progress at the negotiating table and conditions on the battlefield. Whether renewed talks can translate into concrete steps towards peace remains uncertain.