Russian strikes kill 4, injure 7 in overnight attacks on Ukraine

Ukrainian officials said Saturday that four people were killed and seven others injured in overnight Russian strikes on industrial and residential targets across the Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a temporary halt to Ukrainian aerial attacks to ensure safe conditions for US envoys expected in Moscow.

Casualties reported in Kamianske and Boryspil

Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said on Telegram that an industrial enterprise in Kamianske was struck, killing four people and injuring five others. In the Kyiv region, Governor Timur Tkachenko reported that two people were injured when a nine-story residential building in Boryspil was hit, noting that emergency crews were working to address the consequences.

Air defenses and Russian counterclaims

The Ukrainian Air Force stated on Telegram that its defenses shot down 128 Russian drones during the overnight assault. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces had struck two major metal suppliers for the Ukrainian military in the Dnipropetrovsk region, alongside logistics centers, a dry cargo ship, fuel storage facilities and an electronic intelligence center in Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kyiv regions.

Zelenskyy guarantees safe passage for US envoys

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Kyiv would ensure the normal functioning of Russian airspace during an expected visit to Moscow by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. "We are looking out for them, not for Russia," Zelenskyy wrote on social media platform X, adding that "there will be no air strikes from our side, and Russia must do the same, ensuring there are no air strikes from its side for the time needed to hold these talks and handle the logistical matters related to this American visit." Witkoff and Kushner have never visited Kyiv, while both have made several trips to Moscow since US-mediated talks began, with their most recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin occurring on January 22 at the Kremlin, according to Axios and Russian state news agency Tass, which reported that the two envoys will visit both capitals over the weekend.