Early on Monday, Russian attacks in Ukraine resulted in the deaths of two individuals and led to emergency nighttime evacuations amid freezing conditions. This occurred just a day before Ukrainian allies are set to converge in Paris for discussions aimed at rekindling diplomatic initiatives to halt the ongoing conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, along with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are slated to participate in the Paris meeting, which is part of ongoing U.S.-led efforts to resolve the Russian invasion that began four years ago next month.
French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting the gathering of the so-called “coalition of the willing” on Tuesday to explore security guarantees as part of a plan to conclude the war between Ukraine and Russia.
The overnight Russian strikes ignited a fire at a private medical facility in the capital, resulting in one fatality and three injuries, according to local authorities.
Emergency responders provided visuals of rescuers transporting individuals on stretchers from the devastated building.
“Medical staff had to evacuate the injured under fire,” stated Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, on X.
“It was an awful night for us,” said Margaryta Maliovana, the clinic’s CEO, in an interview with AFP. “One individual lost their life. A young man, just 30 years old, was killed,” she added, mentioning that there were 26 patients present in the clinic when the attack occurred.
Additionally, the pre-dawn assault claimed the life of a man in his 70s in the nearby city of Fastiv, according to the Kyiv regional governor.
The strikes resulted in power outages in the vicinity, prompting backups to be activated for maintaining water and heating supplies, the official noted, as temperatures plummeted to minus 8 degrees Celsius.
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched a total of 165 drones and at least nine missiles during the night.
On Tuesday, European leaders are gathered in Paris, aiming to achieve a breakthrough on a plan that Ukraine claims is “90%” complete to put an end to the fighting.
“This week, we will collaborate with our European and American partners to ensure Ukraine receives the necessary support,” stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
In preparation for the meeting, security advisors from 15 countries, including Britain, France, and Germany, along with representatives from NATO and the European Union, gathered in Kyiv over the weekend.
U.S. envoy Witkoff participated in the talks virtually, as reported by a Ukrainian official to AFP, although the earlier large-scale military action by the United States against Venezuela overshadowed the discussions.
Another preparatory conference among military chiefs is planned for Monday.
Recent weeks have seen an acceleration of diplomatic efforts to resolve Europe’s most lethal conflict since World War II, though both Moscow and Kyiv continue to disagree on crucial territorial issues in any potential post-war agreement.
Russia, which currently occupies about 20% of Ukraine, is advocating for complete control over the eastern Donbas region as part of a negotiated settlement.
However, Kyiv has cautioned that relinquishing territory would encourage Moscow and asserted that it would not agree to a peace treaty that fails to prevent future Russian invasions.
On Monday, Russia announced it had taken control of the village of Hrabovske in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, from which Kyiv had previously accused Moscow of forcibly relocating numerous residents.
Under continuous bombardment and suffering territorial losses, Ukraine has been mounting its own drone strikes into Russian territory, particularly targeting energy infrastructure that supports the war effort.
On Sunday, Trump rejected Moscow’s claims that Ukraine had launched a drone attack on one of President Vladimir Putin’s residences. “I don’t believe that strike happened,” Trump stated in response to a question from a reporter aboard Air Force One. Kyiv has also denied the accusation.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the conflict has resulted in tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of casualties, devastated eastern Ukraine, and displaced millions from their homes.
Putin has vowed to continue his military campaign if his rigid demands are not met during negotiations.
According to AFP analysis, Russia made significant territorial gains on the battlefield in 2025, marking the most progress since the initial year of its offensive.
