Kyiv: A Russian drone strike targeted the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) in Kyiv, sending thick smoke over the historic centre of the Ukrainian capital and injuring 12 people, according to the city’s mayor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram that the drone had been directed at the SBU headquarters. He condemned the attack and vowed a strong response.
The strike followed a series of Russian attacks that began on Thursday night and reportedly killed at least three people elsewhere in Ukraine. Air attacks between Russia and Ukraine have intensified as the war enters its fifth year, with residential areas also being hit.
US peace efforts continue
Amid the escalation, Zelenskyy said Kyiv expects US representatives to visit Ukraine in the coming days as efforts to revive negotiations continue.
He said preliminary dates had been set for meetings in both Moscow and Kyiv and that Ukraine’s negotiating team remained in contact with its US counterparts.
“They have confirmed that one meeting will be in Moscow and another in Kyiv,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine was ready for substantive negotiations and that active US involvement was important.
A Russian news agency reported that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would visit Moscow first before travelling to Kyiv over the weekend. However, the reported travel plans had not been independently confirmed.
