Explosions rock Kyiv ahead of Zelensky-Trump peace talks as Russia launches fresh strikes

Missile and drone attacks hit Kyiv hours before Zelensky’s meeting with Trump, underscoring the fragile state of Ukraine peace talks

PGurus Newsdesk

December 27, 2025

Fresh Russian strikes shake Kyiv as peace talks with Trump near

Russian missiles, drones hit Kyiv hours before Zelensky meets Trump on Ukraine peace deal

Powerful explosions were heard across Ukraine’s capital early Saturday as Russian forces launched fresh missile and drone attacks, hours ahead of a key meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump aimed at pushing forward a possible peace deal to end the nearly four-year-old war.

Ukraine’s air defence systems were activated as missiles and drones targeted Kyiv and several other regions, including parts of the northeast and south, the military said. Air raid sirens remained in effect in the capital for nearly four hours, though there were no immediate reports of casualties, power outages, or major damage. Russia did not issue an immediate statement on the strikes. The attacks followed heavy Russian strikes earlier in the week on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and intensified bombardment of the southern port region of Odesa.

The escalation came just before Zelensky’s scheduled talks with Trump in Florida on Sunday, which he has described as crucial for shaping a potential ceasefire framework. Zelensky said discussions would centre on territorial control following a halt in hostilities that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. He also revealed that a US-backed peace proposal is nearly finalised, with a draft agreement reportedly 90 per cent complete, and that negotiations on a security guarantee pact between Kyiv and Washington are in their final stages.

While Zelensky has stressed the need for long-term, legally binding security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression, Trump has underscored Washington’s central role in approving any final deal. Expressing confidence ahead of the meeting, Trump said talks were likely to go well and added that he expected to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon. The question of territory, however, remains the most significant diplomatic hurdle as fighting continues on the ground.