Airstrikes 'speak for Putin' before Mar-a-Lago meeting

Ukraine's leader says Russia's brutal bombardment of Kyiv and other regions shows Putin ‘does not want to end the war'

- BRYONY GOOCH

Vladimir Putin continued to apply pressure on Ukraine with a huge bombardment which killed two and injured dozens, while Volodymyr Zelensky was preparing for today’s crunch peace meeting with US president Donald Trump in Florida.

Russia launched almost 500 drones and 40 missiles targeting Kyiv and regions in the northeast and the south overnight on Friday. It was the second brutal airstrike on Ukraine in less than a week, after Moscow launched 587 drones and 34 missiles on Tuesday.

A third of the capital city was left without heat in subzero weather conditions as the attack continued throughout yesterday morning, and a nearly 10-hour air raid alert only ended at 11.20am.

Authorities said two people were killed in Kyiv and the surrounding region, while at least 46 people were wounded, including two children.

Following the strikes, 50,000 homes were left without electricity in the Kyiv region, Ukraine's largest energy company said. Russia caused “serious damage” to the region’s energy infrastructure, DTEK Group posted in an update on Telegram, adding that its crews were “working nonstop” to restore electricity to all homes.