- Overnight missile and drone strikes hit Kyiv
- Geneva hosts key US-Ukraine meeting
- Territorial control blocks progress in talks
- Ukraine insists on firm security guarantees
In the fifth year of the Russia Ukraine War, Russia launched early morning missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Wednesday. The attacks came just as senior US and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Geneva, raising questions about whether diplomacy can move forward amid ongoing violence.
Capital Hit Again, People Stayed Awake All Night
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that in the early morning attacks, a nine-storey residential building in the Darnytskyi district was damaged. A house and a garage caught fire, which was later extinguished. The head of the city’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, said that after the attack, the air defense system had to be activated immediately. People were told to remain in shelters as a precaution. There are no reports of casualties in the capital.
According to officials, at least eight people have been injured across the country. According to an AFP report, seven people were injured in Kharkiv and one person was injured in Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
From Kharkiv to Zaporizhzhia, Explosions Everywhere
Attacks were also recorded overnight in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Pictures have emerged of firefighters extinguishing a fire in a damaged house in Kharkiv.
In recent months, Russia has continuously targeted Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure during the winter. Such attacks are continuing even as Washington is increasing diplomatic pressure to end the war.
Geneva Talks Bring New Hope
In this atmosphere, a meeting is scheduled in Geneva between Ukraine’s chief negotiator Rustem Umerov and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. This meeting is taking place ahead of a possible session in early March involving the full negotiation teams of Moscow, Kyiv and Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that before the meeting he spoke for about half an hour with US President Donald Trump. The conversation included discussion on the Geneva agenda and preparation for the upcoming three-party meeting.
Zelensky hopes that this process could eventually open the door for direct talks between leaders. He says that to resolve complex issues, direct conversation at the top level is necessary, and Trump also agrees with this thinking.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already refused to sit face-to-face with Zelensky and has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the Ukrainian leadership. According to the Russian state agency TASS, the Kremlin’s envoy for economic affairs Kirill Dmitriev may also be in Geneva, where he could speak with US officials on economic matters.
What Is the Biggest Obstacle on the Path to Peace?
Donald Trump had earlier claimed that he could end this war within 24 hours of taking office. However, the talks held so far have not produced concrete results.
Discussions based on a US framework that emerged at the end of last year are currently stuck on the issue of territorial control. The industrial region of Donbas in eastern Ukraine remains the most disputed issue.
Russia is demanding full control over the Donetsk region and has indicated that if its conditions are not accepted in the talks, it could intensify military action. On the other hand, Ukraine says it will not sign any agreement without solid security guarantees.
