KYIV, Ukraine — A series of Russian attacks on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, resulted in at least seven fatalities and significant damage to city infrastructure overnight. The strikes targeted residential buildings and energy facilities, leading to widespread power outages. In retaliation, a Ukrainian drone attack in southern Russia reportedly killed three individuals and caused damage to homes.

These assaults occurred as the United States intensified efforts to negotiate a peace plan to end the nearly four-year conflict. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to discuss the terms of a potential settlement. A U.S. official, who requested anonymity, confirmed the meeting but did not disclose specific details about the discussions or their duration. However, it was noted that all parties involved expressed a desire to reach an agreement to cease hostilities as soon as possible.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that progress was made during recent talks between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva. He emphasized that the necessary steps to end the war could become feasible. Zelenskyy plans to address sensitive issues with President Donald Trump, with hopes of finalizing a deal by November.

In a significant escalation, Russia launched 22 missiles and over 460 drones at Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy. The attacks disrupted water, electricity, and heating services in parts of Kyiv. Video footage showed a large fire engulfing a nine-story residential building in the Dniprovskyi district. Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported that two people died and five were injured in that area, while another residential building in the central Pecherskyi district sustained severe damage.

Liubov Petrivna, a 90-year-old resident of a damaged building, described the chaos, stating, "Absolutely everything in my apartment was shattered, and glass rained down on me." She expressed skepticism about the ongoing peace discussions, saying, "No one will ever do anything about it. Putin won’t stop until he finishes us off."

In a subsequent wave of attacks, four more people were killed and three injured in a strike on a nonresidential building in Kyiv's Sviatoshynyi district. Additionally, Ukrainian emergency services reported injuries to six individuals, including two children, from a Russian attack on energy and port infrastructure in the Odesa region.

On the Russian side, a drone attack in the Rostov region resulted in three deaths and eight injuries in the city of Taganrog, according to local authorities. The attack damaged several residential buildings and other facilities.

Russian air defenses claimed to have intercepted 249 Ukrainian drones over various regions, including Crimea, with 116 drones shot down over the Black Sea. This marked one of the largest Ukrainian drone assaults on Russia to date.

The recent violence follows constructive discussions in Switzerland regarding a U.S.-brokered peace plan. Oleksandr Bevz, a Ukrainian delegate, noted that the talks were productive, allowing both sides to address most points. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow had not yet received the updated peace proposal.

French President Emmanuel Macron commented that the U.S. plan for Ukraine is a step in the right direction but cautioned against any agreement that could be perceived as a capitulation to Russia. He stressed that any peace deal must include strong security guarantees for Ukraine and should not limit the size of its armed forces. Macron's remarks came ahead of a video conference involving countries that could help monitor a potential ceasefire with Russia. He stated, "We want peace, but we don’t want a peace that is, in fact, a capitulation. That is to say, it puts Ukraine in an impossible position that in the end gives Russia the freedom to keep going."