Russian ballistic missiles kill at least five in Ukraine’s Kyiv,

Russian Ballistic Missiles Hit Kyiv, Kill at Least Five and Spark Major Fires

Overview of the Missile Attack and Its Aftermath

By Daniel Flynn and Jekaterina Golubkova

Casualties and Damage in Kyiv

KYIV, Aug 20 (Reuters) – Russian ballistic missiles killed at least five people and injured over two dozen more in Kyiv early on Thursday, authorities said on the Telegram messaging app, damaging buildings and leaving parts of the Ukrainian capital without power. 

Impact on Residential and Non-Residential Areas

People were trapped in one residential building and fires broke out in multiple locations, while non-residential facilities, warehouses and a children’s hospital were also hit, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. 

Eyewitness Accounts and Regional Effects

A Reuters witness reported hearing more than a dozen explosions. In the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital, another person was killed, an official said separately on Telegram. 

Emergency Response Efforts

Ukraine’s emergency service showed video of servicemen battling a blaze in a building and helping people to escape facilities destroyed during the night in Kyiv. 

Ongoing Conflict and International Reactions

Continued Hostilities Between Russia and Ukraine

 Russia and Ukraine have exchanged attacks almost daily since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Europe have so far failed to bring a lasting ceasefire. 

Poland’s Defensive Measures

Poland, a NATO and European Union member bordering Ukraine, has started defensive air operations to protect its airspace, its military said in a post on X.

Diplomatic Efforts and Negotiations

Ukraine’s Proposals for Peace

 Ukraine had handed proposals to U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, for a plan to end the war, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said this month, and he has also repeatedly asked for interceptor missiles to ward off missile attacks.

Russia’s Response to Negotiation Efforts

 Russia did not receive specific proposals for possible new meetings with U.S. negotiators, Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, told the Izvestia newspaper, but said Moscow would be ready to arrange a meeting at short notice. 

Previous Meetings and Diplomatic Engagements

Witkoff and Kushner were last in Moscow last January and have not yet visited Kyiv.

(Reporting by Daniel Flynn and Jekaterīna Golubkova; Editing by Chris Reese and Stephen Coates)