Kyiv hit by missile strikes hours after Russia agrees to resume peace talks
Three waves of missiles struck the Ukrainian capital as President Zelensky described the attackers as "Russian humanitarians".
At a glance
- Kyiv was hit by three waves of missiles, according to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- Russia said it was "ready in principle" to resume peace talks with the US and Ukraine.
- US envoy Steve Witkoff called Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian" after a meeting in St Petersburg.
Kyiv was hit by another round of missile strikes hours after Russia said it was ready in principle to resume peace talks with the United States and Ukraine, the BBC reported on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks came in three waves and described the missiles as having been launched by "Russian humanitarians".
His remark followed comments by US envoy Steve Witkoff, who called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian" after a meeting in St Petersburg on Wednesday.
Talks and strikes on the same day
According to the BBC, Russia said it was "ready in principle" to resume peace talks with the US and Ukraine. The strikes on Kyiv came hours after that position was stated.
The sequence of events places the renewed diplomatic opening and the attack on the Ukrainian capital on the same day, with the talks announcement coming first.
The BBC's Dan Johnson reported from the scene of a destroyed retail park in the city.
What was said
Zelensky's use of the phrase "Russian humanitarians" came shortly after Witkoff's description of Putin, which the US envoy made following the St Petersburg meeting.
Russia's stated readiness to return to negotiations, announced on Wednesday, was described as being "in principle" — a formulation that does not by itself indicate when or where talks might take place.
The source report does not give details of casualties, the number of missiles involved beyond the three waves described by Zelensky, or which specific sites were struck other than the destroyed retail park shown by the BBC.
No further statements from US or Russian officials about the timing of any negotiations were included in the source material.
Source: BBC World.
Questions and answers
- What happened in Kyiv on Wednesday?
- Kyiv was hit by another round of missile strikes. President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks came in three waves, and the BBC reported from the scene of a destroyed retail park.
- Did Russia agree to new peace talks with Ukraine?
- Russia said it was "ready in principle" to resume peace talks with the US and Ukraine, according to the BBC. The strikes on Kyiv came hours after that.
- Why did Zelensky mention "Russian humanitarians"?
- Zelensky described the missiles as launched by "Russian humanitarians", after US envoy Steve Witkoff called Vladimir Putin a "humanitarian" following a meeting in St Petersburg.
