Sun Mar 23 08:17:59 UTC 2025: ## Deadly Drone Attacks Rock Kyiv Amidst Impending Ceasefire Talks
**KYIV, Ukraine (March 23, 2025)** — A wave of Russian drone attacks on Kyiv overnight killed at least three people, including a five-year-old child, and injured ten others, Ukrainian officials reported. The barrage, involving 147 drones according to the Ukrainian Air Force, targeted residential buildings and infrastructure across several regions, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 97 drones, while another 25 failed to reach their targets.
The attacks occurred just hours before scheduled indirect ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the U.S., in Saudi Arabia. These talks, slated for Monday, March 24, are expected to focus on a potential pause in long-range attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities. Ukraine will send technical teams to participate in the discussions. President Zelenskyy confirmed that the Ukrainian delegation will meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The drone debris caused significant damage and fires in several Kyiv districts. Two residential buildings in the Dnipro district were ignited, resulting in one fatality. Another fire in the Podil district engulfed a high-rise building, and a warehouse and office building fire in Holosiivskyi also claimed a life.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, citing attacks on Rostov and Astrakhan regions. One person was killed and a car set ablaze in Rostov due to a Ukrainian drone strike, according to local authorities. The timing and scale of the attacks raise serious questions about Russia’s commitment to the upcoming ceasefire negotiations.
First Piper 