Video: Russia hits Kyiv with massive missile barrage hours after Zelensky’s Trump peace referendum offer
Abdullateef Fowewe
Russia unleashed a massive missile strike on Ukraine’s capital early Saturday, triggering air defenses and widespread power outages across Kyiv, in what appeared to be a direct response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s overture toward peace talks with United States President Donald Trump.
The attack came mere hours after Zelensky told Axios he was “ready” to hold a national referendum on Trump’s proposed peace plan, provided Russia agrees to a 60-day ceasefire – the “minimum” he described for a legitimate vote.
Explosions rocked the city as Ukrainian air defenses scrambled to intercept the barrage, leaving large swaths of Kyiv without electricity amid freezing winter temperatures.
Zelensky had warned that any such referendum under active Russian bombardment would backfire.
“If that campaign takes place amid ongoing Russian attacks, it will end badly. The people will see the missiles,” he said.
Now, as those missiles rain down, the irony underscores the fragile path to negotiations.
Most elements of a potential U.S.-Ukraine deal are already “set and codified into five documents,” Zelensky noted, with security guarantees nearly finalized.
He is set to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday.
Russia, however, reportedly pushes for a shorter ceasefire timeline, complicating the diplomatic push.
Ukrainian officials reported no immediate casualty figures, but emergency services mobilized to restore power and aid residents.
