RUSSIA snubbed a midnight truce with fatal drone strikes across Ukraine, throwing imminent US-led peace talks into doubt.
The ceasefire, sought by the US and agreed by Ukraine, was set up ahead of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner‘s weekend visit to Moscow and Kyiv.
US Special Envoys Steve Witkoff (L) and Jared Kushner speak to reporters after deploying a post-ceasefire force in Ukraine in January Credit: AFP
Russia snubbed a midnight truce to kill at least four people in strikes across Ukraine Credit: East2West
But Vladimir Putin’s forces unleashed strikes on two metal plants in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing four people and injuring seven others.
As Ukraine abided by the ceasefire, Kyiv was under siege from Russian strikes including Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles.
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Three districts were attacked and a nine-storey residential building hit in Boryspil, leaving two women with brain injuries.
A “radio and radio-technical intelligence centre” near the capital was also struck.
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Russia struck a residential building in Boryspil, Kyiv region Credit: East2West
Firefighters at the scene after a Russian strike in Boryspil Credit: East2West
The Russian strikes cast serious doubt on Putin’s willingness to engage with the White House envoys during their weekend peace mission.
Trump announced his envoys would be travelling with a “proposal to end the war”.
Witkoff and Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, have visited Russia multiple times, but the talks will be the first in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the meeting, saying his aids were “preparing for the visit”.
He said: “As with previous diplomatic visits by the American side, we will ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are concerned about their safety, not about Russia.”
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to confirm whether Kushner and Witkoff would visit Moscow.
On Thursday Putin told an international economic forum on Thursday that “there are chances” a peace deal could be reached.
But the Russian tyrant showed no sign of backing down from his territorial demands in Ukraine – which have previously stunted peace negotiations.
US President Donald Trump said his envoys were sent to Moscow and Kyiv with a ‘plan for peace’ Credit: AFP
Special Envoy of the US President Steven Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a previous meeting Credit: Getty
The overnight killings by Russian forces have sparked outrage in Ukraine.
“Ukraine unilaterally ceased fire, while Russia continued to bombard and kill sleeping civilians,” war commentator Denys Kazanskyi said.
“No peace initiatives can help when you are fighting monsters whose goal is not peace, but the genocide of your people.”
Ukraine now had “no other choice but to defend itself from these insatiable killers.”
It comes after a Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s state security service (SBU) on Friday.
At least seven people were injured in the attack on the building in Kyiv, across from the historic St Sophia Cathedral.
Footage shows the horror explosion which left a fiery, gaping hole in the façade of the building.
Zelenskyy posted on X: “The drone was aimed directly at the office of the head of the security service in that building.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the US visit Credit: Getty
Smoke rises after a Russian strike on the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in Kyiv Credit: Reuters
The Ukrainian President said he has ordered “an appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike”.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack a “major escalation” that came as potential peace talks were building momentum.
“Moscow launched this strike during a renewed push for peace – laying bare its true rejection of diplomacy,” he said in a post on X.
Kyiv has faced repeated Russian drone attacks for 10 days, with Russia claiming to have downed 1,000 Ukrainian drones on Friday — one of the highest figures of the war.
