KYIV – On Saturday, December 27, 2025, Russia launched one of its most intensive aerial assaults of the year against Ukraine’s capital, just hours before President Volodymyr Zelensky was scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida. The barrage, which included nearly 500 drones and 40 missiles, appeared to be a calculated signal from the Kremlin as the two leaders prepare to discuss a finalized 20-point peace framework.
A Capital Under Siege
The Saturday morning attack began in the early hours and lasted for ten hours, with explosions echoing across Kyiv. According to local authorities, the strike utilized a combination of Shahed drones and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles launched from land, air, and sea.
One person was confirmed dead and 27 others were wounded, including two children. The strikes targeted energy infrastructure, leaving approximately one-third of the capital without heating and causing widespread emergency power outages as temperatures dipped toward freezing. Residential buildings in the Dnipro, Darnytsia, and Obolonskyi districts were severely damaged, with emergency crews working throughout the day to pull survivors from the rubble.
“This attack is Russia’s answer to our peace efforts,” Zelensky stated via an audio message while en route to North America. “It shows that Putin does not want peace; he is raising the stakes.”
The Florida Summit
Despite the escalation, Zelensky is proceeding with his trip to the United States to meet President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Sunday, December 28. This meeting follows months of intense, often friction-filled diplomacy. The primary focus is a 20-point peace plan that Zelensky says is “90 percent complete.”
Key elements of the proposed deal reportedly include:
- Security Guarantees: Legally binding assurances from the U.S. and Europe to protect Ukraine from future aggression.
- Demilitarized Zones: Proposals for a “free economic zone” in parts of the Donbas region.
- The 800,000-Troop Clause: A requirement for Ukraine to maintain a large peacetime standing army, a point Moscow has already labeled unacceptable.
President Trump has maintained a characteristically blunt tone ahead of the summit. In a recent interview, he emphasized that any deal hinges on American approval, stating, “He [Zelensky] doesn’t have anything until I approve it.” Trump also indicated he expects to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the near future.
Strategic Deadlock
On the front lines, the situation remains a bloody stalemate. While Russia has made incremental gains in the Donetsk region—claiming control over Myrnohrad and Huliaipole—Ukraine’s General Staff has dismissed these claims as “not supported by facts.”
As the year draws to a close, the diplomatic pressure is at an all-time high. Zelensky has signaled a willingness to hold a referendum or elections if a viable peace document is reached, though millions remain displaced. The Florida meeting is seen by many as the final opportunity to forge a breakthrough before 2026 begins.
Sources
- AP News: Russia strikes Ukraine’s capital and kills at least 1 person a day before Zelenskyy-Trump meeting
- The Washington Post: Russian attack pummels Kyiv as Zelensky prepares to meet Trump
- CBS News: Russian strikes kill 1, wound dozens in Ukraine ahead of Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
- Fox News: Zelenskyy says Ukraine, ahead of Trump meeting, is ‘willing to do whatever it takes’
- Institute for the Study of War (ISW): Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 26-27, 2025
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