Russian drone and missile strikes on Kyiv kill 2, ending pause in attacks

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Sep 08, 2026 4:47 AM EDT | Last Updated: 5 minutes ago

Russia pummelled Kyiv with drones and missiles early on Tuesday, resuming its air attacks after a brief halt for the visit of U.S. peace negotiators, killing two people and triggering fires across the Ukrainian capital.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 10 more had been injured in the city, while falling debris in one district caused fires at a five-storey apartment building and a three-storey residential block.

The attack damaged at least 14 highrise buildings, a dorm, a school, a clinic, warehouses and other sites, officials said.

Russia resumed its attacks after U.S. peace envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff left Kyiv following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday, as the Trump administration renewed its push to end Russia's 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine.

They arrived from talks in Moscow, after which the Kremlin said it did not rule out the resumption of the three-way negotiations.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 10 people had been injured in the city, while falling debris in one district caused fires at two residential buildings. (Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press)

"The moment the U.S. president's peace envoys left, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin launched another massive, horrific attack against Kyiv," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

"His ballistic missiles speak louder than his words on diplomacy," Sybiha said, urging allies to ramp up pressure on Moscow, as well as to provide interceptors to down ballistic missiles, since Kyiv's stocks of these run critically low.

Kyiv resident Iryna Barisenkova, 61, said she heard explosions while travelling on public transport and was told there was a large fire near the Darnytskyi Vehicle Repair Plant, or DVRZ, area on the capital's left bank.

"Everything was thundering on the left bank," Barisenkova said. "It was just brutal."

• Russian air attacks kill 12 in Kyiv region on 6th day of strikes

• U.S. officials optimistic after Kyiv trip

Prior to the talks, Russia stepped up air attacks on Kyiv and nearby areas to nearly round-the-clock for several days, rather than mainly at night, using faster jet-propelled drones that killed residents and disrupted activities.

The Russian defence ministry said Moscow hit military and logistic targets in Kyiv and the surrounding region, as well as in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, Russian newswires said.

WATCH | U.S. officials visit Kyiv following Moscow trip:

Poland activates aircraft

Amid explosions heard in Kyiv, neighbouring Poland, a NATO and European Union member, launched preventive operations against Russian missile attacks on Ukraine, the Polish army said.

Poland's Lublin airport has temporarily suspended flights because of the military operations.

In Russia, Ukrainian drones damaged civilian infrastructure and injured people in the Volga river city of Saratov, some 730 kilometres southeast of Moscow, the regional governor said.

The area is home to a large oil refinery run by state oil company Rosneft, as well as other industrial and military facilities.

Meanwhile, two people ‌were killed and ​one ​wounded ⁠in ⁠a ‌Ukrainian attack on ⁠the Crimean peninsula, which ‌was annexed by Russia ​in ⁠2014, ⁠Sergei ⁠Aksyonov, the ⁠Moscow-appointed ​regional governor, ​said.

A woman with a child leaves a Kyiv shelter following the airstrikes. (Yan Dobronosov/Reuters)