Image Source: X/@OleksiiKuleba
Russia carried out one of its heaviest overnight assaults on Ukraine in months, firing large waves of missiles and drones from late Friday into early Saturday. The strikes came as Ukrainian and U.S. officials entered their third straight day of talks aimed at finding a path to end the nearly four-year war.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 653 drones and 51 missiles, setting off air-raid alarms nationwide during the country’s Armed Forces Day. Ukrainian defenses shot down 585 drones and 30 missiles, but 29 locations were still hit, according to the military.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that at least eight people were injured in the attacks, including three in the Kyiv region. Drones were also spotted deep in western Ukraine, reaching areas such as the Lviv region.
Ukraine’s national grid operator, Ukrenergo, said on Telegram that Russia carried out a “massive missile-drone attack” on several power stations and essential energy sites.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attackers focused heavily on infrastructure, adding that a drone strike had “burned down” the train station in Fastiv in the Kyiv region.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its air defenses intercepted 116 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.
Around the same time, Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that Ukraine struck the Ryazan Oil Refinery. Videos shared by the channel appeared to show fire and thick smoke rising from the facility, though the Associated Press said it could not verify the footage.
Ukraine has not issued an immediate statement on the alleged strike.
Ryazan governor Pavel Malkov said debris from a drone damaged a residential building and fell on the territory of an “industrial facility,” but he did not directly mention the refinery.
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian refineries in recent months, attempting to cut off Moscow’s oil revenue, which helps fund its war. Meanwhile, Kyiv and Western allies say Russia is attacking Ukraine’s energy network to deprive civilians of heat, electricity and running water for a fourth winter, calling it “weaponizing” the cold.
The latest strikes occurred as U.S. President Donald Trump’s advisers and Ukrainian officials prepared for a third day of negotiations on Saturday. Both sides said they were making progress on shaping a future security structure for Ukraine.
After Friday’s discussions in Florida, negotiators said that any “real progress toward any agreement” will depend “on Russia’s readiness to show serious commitment to long-term peace.”
The statement came from U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Ukrainian representatives Rustem Umerov and Andriy Hnatov. They shared only broad details about the meetings as Trump pushes for a U.S.-mediated deal to end the nearly four-year conflict.
