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Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack across Ukraine

Russian forces carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine overnight on January 28, striking multiple regions, including Kyiv and its surrounding areas.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched one Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 Shahed-type drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 103 drones, but at least 36 drones and the missile reached their targets, hitting 22 locations across the country.

Kyiv was hit around 1:26 a.m. In Kyiv Oblast, two civilians were killed in the village of Bilohorodka on the outskirts of the capital, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk said. The victims—a man and a woman—were struck while inside their apartment.

Ukrainian media reported that one of the victims was a mother who had been at home with her 4-year-old child at the time of the strike. The woman and her partner were on the second floor of the building when it was hit, while the child was on the first floor. Both adults were killed instantly.

The child was rescued from the burning building by Radio Liberty war correspondent Marian Kushnir. He later said he rushed to help after hearing the explosion and found the child crying inside the apartment.

“The fire spread extremely fast. When I returned after carrying the child out, the stairwell was already burning,” Kushnir said.

The child is now staying with his father and older brother, according to Ukrainian media.

In Kyiv itself, drone debris fell in the Holosiivskyi district, damaging windows in a residential building and causing a fire on the roof of a high-rise apartment block.

Later in the night, several other cities were attacked, including Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia.

In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two strikes on residential areas injured at least six people, Governor Ivan Fedorov said. Fourteen apartment buildings and about 20 vehicles were damaged. The victims sustained shrapnel wounds and concussions; one person was hospitalized, while others received outpatient treatment.

In Kryvyi Rih, a ballistic missile strike injured two civilians—a 51-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man—according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s Defense Council. An infrastructure facility was also damaged, though details were not disclosed.

For Odesa, it was the second attack in a row as the city was observing a day of mourning for victims of a previous Russian attack. Three men aged 21, 67, and 80 were injured, said Serhii Lysak, head of the city’s military administration. The youngest victim was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds, while the others sustained traumatic brain injuries and declined hospitalization.

Russian drones also struck the grounds of the Holy Dormition Monastery in Odesa three times, damaging religious buildings, windows, doors, and a greenhouse, according to the Odesa Diocese.

The widespread attack further worsened Ukraine’s energy situation. The Energy Ministry reported power outages in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Chernihiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, with Kyiv and the surrounding region experiencing significant electricity shortages.

“The situation remains difficult, and emergency outages are in effect,” Deputy Energy Minister Artem Nekrasov said, adding that scheduled blackouts would resume once the system stabilizes.

Severe winter weather has compounded the crisis, leaving more than 700 settlements across 11 oblasts without electricity.

Despite the ongoing attacks and power outages, most Ukrainians remain in their homes. A survey by Gradus Research found that 87% of respondents did not change their place of residence. Among residents of eastern Ukraine and Kyiv—the most frequently targeted areas—21% and 18% reported relocating.

Russia has intensified its aerial campaign throughout the winter, repeatedly targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as millions endure subzero temperatures. Recent strikes have triggered a deepening energy crisis nationwide.

The overnight attack followed two deadly Russian strikes in Odesa and Kharkiv that killed at least eight civilians and injured dozens more.

Putin's aide invites Zelensky to Moscow for talks and promises security guarantees

Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could travel to Moscow if he wishes to meet with Putin, according to Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti.

Ushakov said Putin has repeatedly expressed readiness for such a meeting, provided Zelensky comes to Russia. “If Zelenskyy is truly ready for a meeting, then we, of course, invite him to Moscow,” Ushakov said.

He added that Russia would provide security guarantees for the Ukrainian president during a visit to Moscow.

According to Ushakov, the possibility of a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky has been discussed several times during phone calls between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“During these conversations, Trump, in particular, suggested that we consider this possibility,” Ushakov said.

The Kremlin official did not specify whether any concrete preparations or timelines for such a meeting are currently under discussion.

Russian strikes on Donetsk Oblast killed four and injured five

Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed four civilians and injured five others over the past day, regional authorities reported on January 27.

Three people were killed in Sloviansk and one in Kostiantynivka. Five others were wounded, including two in Sloviansk and one each in Dobropillia, Druzhkivka, and Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka.

Russian forces shelled settlements across the oblast 48 times over the past 24 hours. As a result of the continued fighting, 266 people, including 17 children, were evacuated from frontline areas.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, at least 3,992 people have been killed and 8,827 injured in Donetsk Oblast, not including casualties in Mariupol or Volnovakha.