‘The moment US left, attacks resumed’: Russia launches fresh assault on Ukraine, 3 killed

Russia launched a fresh wave of drone and missile attacks on Kyiv early Tuesday, killing three people and wounding 16 others, as fires broke out across the Ukrainian capital.The strikes came after a brief pause during a visit by US peace negotiators. Interior minister Ivan Vyhivskyi said 16 people were wounded in the city.“Kyiv was exploding and burning,” EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova said.The attack damaged at least 14 high-rise buildings, as well as a dormitory, school, clinic, warehouses and other sites, officials were quoted as saying by Reuters.Russia resumed its attacks after US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff left Kyiv on Sunday following talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as the Trump administration renewed efforts to end Russia’s 4 and a half year war in Ukraine.The envoys had arrived in Kyiv after talks in Moscow, following which the Kremlin said it did not rule out the resumption of three-way negotiations."The moment the US president's peace envoys left, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched another massive, horrific attack against Kyiv," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X.Both Moscow and Kyiv halted strikes on their respective capitals for three days to ensure the safety of the US peace negotiators. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged allies to increase pressure on Moscow and provide interceptors to counter ballistic missiles, saying Kyiv’s stocks had fallen to critically low levels.Before the talks, Russia had intensified air attacks on Kyiv and surrounding areas, with strikes occurring almost around the clock rather than mainly at night. The attacks involved faster, jet-propelled drones that killed residents and disrupted daily activities.The Russian defence ministry said Moscow had struck military and logistics targets in Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, Russian news agencies reported.Aside from Kyiv, eight other regions were targeted in the attacks, Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said. Nearly 100 people were evacuated after Russian drones struck a train in the northern Sumy region, he added.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.