A renewed onslaught by Russia targeting Kyiv with a barrage of drones and missiles has starkly revealed the intentions of President Vladimir Putin and his closest advisors, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Saturday. This comes as Zelenskyy gears up for a meeting with President Donald Trump.

The nighttime assault on Ukraine’s capital resulted in at least one fatality and 27 injuries, according to local officials speaking to the Associated Press. This attack coincides with Zelenskyy’s upcoming meeting with Trump in Florida, where he aims to present a 20-point plan to resolve the conflict with Russia.

“A fresh Russian offensive is underway: since last night, there have been nearly 500 drones—many of them ‘shaheds’—alongside 40 missiles, including Kinzhals. The main focus is Kyiv, targeting energy infrastructure and civilian buildings,” Zelenskyy shared on X Saturday morning. “Unfortunately, there have been direct hits, and ordinary residential homes have suffered damage. Rescuers are currently trying to free someone trapped beneath the debris of one such building.”

“Lately, many have questioned Russia’s response to peace initiatives proposed by the United States and the international community,” Zelenskyy continued. “While Russian diplomats engage in prolonged discussions, their actions, represented by Kinzhals and ‘shaheds,’ reveal their true stance. Putin and his circle show no interest in ending the war and are exploiting every opportunity to inflict more pain on Ukraine and extend their influence globally.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and President Donald Trump. (Images courtesy of Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images; Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP; Alex Brandon/AP)

Zelenskyy also said Saturday that, “If Russia turns even the Christmas and New Year period into a time of destroyed homes and burned apartments, of ruined power plants, then this sick activity can only be responded to with truly strong steps.” 

“The United States has this capability. Europe has this capability. Many of our partners have this capability. The key is to use it,” he declared. 

Trump, ahead of the meeting with Zelenskyy, has said he will call the final shots on a peace deal to end the conflict.

A drone hits an apartment building in Kyiv during Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.” 

The Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday that it carried out a “massive strike” overnight, using “long-range precision-guided weapons from land, air, and sea, including Kinzhal hypersonic aeroballistic missiles” and drones, on energy infrastructure facilities “used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” as well as “Ukrainian military-industrial complex enterprises.” 

Rescuers work on the scene of a building damaged by a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.  (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

The ministry said the strike came in response to Ukraine’s attacks on “civilian objects” in Russia.

Flames rise from a residential building following a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025.  (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Earlier on Saturday, the ministry said its air defenses shot down seven Ukrainian drones over the Russian regions of Krasnodar and Adygeya overnight.