Archive · 23 Sep 2026
Russian Drone Strikes Hit Kyiv After Zelenskiy-Trump Talks
Russia sent fast drones toward Kyiv early Wednesday.
The drones hit petrol stations, railway facilities, warehouses and other places.
Smoke and explosions were reported in the city.
News reports disagreed about how many people died or were hurt.
One report said one person died and seven were injured.
Another said at least two people died and 22 were injured.
The attack happened shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met US President Donald Trump.
They discussed possibly stopping attacks on energy facilities.
Zelenskiy said he would support such a pause if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s infrastructure too.
Russia struck Kyiv with faster, high-flying jet-powered drones early Wednesday, hitting fuel stations, railway infrastructure, warehouses and other sites.
Authorities in the two reports gave differing casualty figures: one person killed and seven injured, or at least two killed and 22 injured.
Ukrnafta said one of its Kyiv petrol stations was hit, marking the sixth such facility attacked in recent weeks.
Ukraine’s railway operator reported damage to railway infrastructure and said one worker was injured.
The strikes followed Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s meetings with Donald Trump and European officials about peace efforts, energy infrastructure and air defenses.
- Who
- Russia carried out the drone attack; people in Kyiv, railway workers and Ukrainian infrastructure were affected.
- What
- Jet-powered drones struck petrol stations, railway infrastructure, warehouses, a business centre and other sites.
- When
- Early Wednesday, September 23, after meetings held on Tuesday.
- Where
- Kyiv, Ukraine.
- Why
- The reports do not give a stated reason for the attack; it occurred amid escalating Russian airstrikes and discussions about a possible energy ceasefire.
Support for an Energy Ceasefire
Skepticism and Continued Fighting
Whether energy attacks should stop
Support for an Energy Ceasefire
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was ready for any format of an energy ceasefire if Russia also halted attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Skepticism and Continued Fighting
A Ukrainian energy worker said he doubted an agreement would work while the war continued because energy infrastructure would remain under threat.
Prospects for wider peace talks
Support for an Energy Ceasefire
Zelenskiy and Donald Trump discussed peace efforts and a potential bilateral ceasefire involving energy-related targets.
Skepticism and Continued Fighting
The Kremlin said the grounds for future peace talks were not yet in place and that no high-level meetings were planned.
Reported human toll
Support for an Energy Ceasefire
One Reuters report cited city authorities as saying one person was killed and seven were injured.
Skepticism and Continued Fighting
A second Reuters report cited authorities as saying at least two people were killed and 22 were injured, creating a discrepancy in the reported toll.
- Reported casualties
- The reports differ: one says one person was killed and seven injured; another says at least two were killed and 22 injured.
- Weapons
- Faster, high-flying jet-powered drones that are described as harder to intercept.
- Reported targets
- Two petrol stations, railway infrastructure, warehouses, a business centre, a nine-storey non-residential building and other sites.
- Ukrnafta station attacks
- Ukrnafta said one of its Kyiv petrol stations was the sixth such facility attacked in recent weeks.
- Railway impact
- Railway infrastructure was attacked and one railway worker was injured, according to the railway operator’s chief executive.
- Diplomatic context
- Zelenskiy and Trump discussed a possible bilateral ceasefire covering energy-related targets; Zelenskiy said no agreement was reached.
- Russian position
- The Kremlin said the conditions for future peace talks with Ukraine were still not in place and that no high-level meetings were planned.