President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Russia’s ongoing combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv, saying the strikes demonstrate that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle have no intention of ending the war.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky wrote:
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“Another Russian strike is still ongoing. Since the night, almost 500 drones – a significant number of them Shaheds – as well as 40 missiles, including Kinzhals, have been launched.”
According to Zelensky, the main target of the attack was Kyiv, particularly the city’s energy and civilian infrastructure.
“Unfortunately, there are hits and damage to ordinary residential buildings. Rescuers are searching for a person under the rubble of one of them. In some areas of the capital and the region, there is no electricity or heating. Firefighting is currently underway,” he said.
He added that repair crews have already begun work at some energy facilities, while teams sheltering on-site will start repairs at others immediately after the air raid sirens end.
“And where is Russia’s response to the proposals to end the war made by the United States and the world? Russian representatives may hold long conversations, but in reality, Kinzhals and Shaheds are speaking for them,” Zelensky wrote.
“This is the real attitude of Putin and his entourage. They do not want to end the war and are trying to use every opportunity to inflict more pain on Ukraine and increase pressure on others around the world,” he added.
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Zelensky said the scale of the attack shows that Russia is facing insufficient pressure in response.
“If Russia turns Christmas and New Year into a time of destroyed homes and burned apartments, destroyed power plants, then this sick activity can only be answered with truly strong steps,” he wrote.
He stressed that the US, Europe, and Ukraine’s partners have the capacity to respond, but must choose to act.
Zelensky also emphasized the need for continued support for Ukraine’s air defenses, stressing that deliveries must be sufficient and timely.
“We will not reduce our diplomatic activity. But diplomacy does not work without security,” he said. “The strong in this world must ensure security, and we will discuss this today and tomorrow with European leaders, the Prime Minister of Canada, and the President of the US.”
As US President Donald Trump prepares to host Zelensky at his Mar-a-Lago estate this weekend to advance a US-Ukraine peace framework described as roughly 90% complete, Russia responded with a major overnight barrage of Kinzhal and Iskander missiles across Ukraine.
Kyiv confirmed that Zelensky will meet Trump on Sunday, with talks expected to focus on security guarantees, reconstruction aid, economic cooperation, and unresolved territorial issues, including the future of the Donbas region and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
US officials say the goal is to finalize key pillars of a potential settlement, even as uncertainty remains over whether Moscow would engage.
The Kremlin has publicly dismissed the talks, insisting any agreement must reflect its demands, including territorial concessions Ukraine has rejected. A senior Western official told Kyiv Post that Russia’s latest strikes signal an attempt to shape negotiations through force.
“They believe leverage is created by explosions, not by compromise – and they intend to arrive at any negotiating table with the battlefield tilted in their favor,” the official said.
The attack followed Russia’s Christmas barrage, during which more than 650 drones and dozens of missiles were launched on Dec. 23.
