Deadly Russian Missile and Drone Strikes Hit Kyiv Following US Envoys' Peace Mission

Firefighters work to extinguish fire following a Russian attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 8, 2026. Danylo Antoniuk/Anadolu/Getty Images

Kyiv — Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital Kyiv with missiles and drones on Tuesday morning, killing two people, just one day after US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited the region to attempt to kickstart stalled peace talks.

Explosions rang out in the city early Tuesday local time, according to a CNN reporter in Kyiv, signaling that the agreed three-day halt on attacks during Washington’s emissaries' visits to both capitals had concluded. The assault, which involved ballistic and cruise missiles alongside drones, left two people dead and 10 wounded.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the assault was “complex” and designed by Russia to “cause as much harm to life as possible.” He added on X that the attack caused “significant damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure in the capital.” Emergency services rescued individuals trapped in a five-story residential block in Kyiv’s Solomyanskyi district, while officials shared images of burning cars and damaged warehouses, garages, and an educational institution, as noted by Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko.

This photograph shows smoke rising following Russian missile strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 8, 2026. Eugene Kotenko/AFP/Getty Images

President Zelensky also reported that the strikes impacted a civilian market in Odesa region, an apartment building in Kharkiv region, and a passenger train on the route between Kyiv and the eastern city of Sumy. Although a drone strike damaged the train, Ukraine’s emergency services confirmed that its 90 passengers and crew safely evacuated beforehand. Due to the scale of the offensive, neighboring Poland deployed military aircraft to protect its airspace, according to the Reuters news agency citing the country’s armed forces.

On Sunday, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—son-in-law to US President Donald Trump—met with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv following intensive meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of Washington's renewed push to end the prolonged war.

Residents stand at a site of a Russian missile and drone attack, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on September 8, 2026. Alina Smutko/Reuters

“Substantive progress was made, including movement on scheduling additional trilateral talks,” Steve Witkoff shared on X following the discussions, though no major breakthroughs emerged. Russia and Ukraine had agreed to pause capital strikes for the weekend of diplomacy following months of stagnation. However, this 72-hour truce expired on Tuesday, ending a brief reprieve from weeks of intense Russian bombardment.

People take shelter inside a metro station during a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 8, 2026. Alina Smutko/Reuters

President Zelensky emphasized that Tuesday's attack highlighted the urgent need for more interceptor missiles, noting that ballistic missiles remain difficult to intercept despite strong defenses against cruise missiles. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its own aerial operations; the governor of Saratov reported that a Ukrainian drone strike hit civilian infrastructure in the Russian city of Saratov, wounding ten people, including three children.