Kyiv · Full chronicle and history

After Special Envoy Witkoff held separate meetings with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, Russia and Ukraine agreed on October 21 to hold technical-level talks among Washington, Moscow and Kyiv.

According to a report by X account @__Inty__ on October 20, 2026 Beijing time, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said that the United States has not changed the deployment posture or scale of its personnel in Kyiv. Regarding the Ukrainian side's claim that it received no warning before Russian forces struck Kyiv last night, he said he was not aware of the specific details, and mentioned that the early warning system had experienced a software malfunction a few days ago, and that the U.S. European Command had participated in an investigation and submitted a report.

According to Radio Free Europe, Russia launched a nighttime ballistic missile strike on Kyiv, and Ukraine once again received no advance warning from its partners before the attack, despite President Zelensky's earlier statement that the United States had resumed sharing missile launch intelligence. The strike killed a 21-year-old woman and injured others.

According to @clashreport, on October 19, 2026 Beijing time, Russia launched multiple ballistic missiles at Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, with the main targets being local energy infrastructure. Panoramic footage of the missile strikes was captured at the scene.

According to a report by clashreport, an order was issued within the White House to restrict Ukraine’s use of the “Starshield” satellite service, a move that interrupted Ukraine’s strike operations and drone interception missions. The related restrictions come as the United States pressures Kyiv to stop launching attacks on Russian refineries.

According to the Financial Times (FT), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv will resume strikes on Russian refineries, as Moscow continues to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure after Trump declared an energy ceasefire.

According to the Financial Times, EU leaders plan to urge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reduce his public criticism of US President Trump, fearing that such remarks could further exacerbate tensions between Kyiv and Washington. An EU official stated that while some perceptions may be factual, it is not always necessary to voice them aloud.

Beijing time October 14, 2026, Ukrainian President Zelensky publicly stated that Ukraine's allies failed to provide advance warning of Russia's ballistic missile attack on Kyiv. It is reported that a total of five Russian ballistic missiles struck Kyiv in this attack. Currently, the Ukrainian government is conducting an investigation into this failure to warn. Previously, the United States had threatened to cut off intelligence sharing if Ukraine performed poorly, and this incident occurred against that backdrop, drawing outside attention to the intelligence cooperation mechanism between Ukraine and its Western allies.

According to Clash Report, Russia launched a large-scale combined air strike against Ukraine in the early hours of October 14, firing a total of 167 weapons, including 39 ballistic missiles and 128 drones. The attack primarily targeted energy infrastructure in Kyiv and Kharkiv on the eve of the heating season, with the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv struck by a ballistic missile.

According to Radio France Internationale, Russia launched strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities, killing at least 6 people. Meanwhile, Washington denied that it had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

According to POLITICO and related reports, in response to Russia's latest ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, U.S. officials said the failure to warn Ukraine in time was caused by severe weather. Kyiv, Ukraine, said this explanation is unacceptable.

U.S. President Trump announced on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine have reached an agreement on an energy ceasefire, but did not disclose details. Ukrainian President Zelensky stated he was unaware of this, but if Moscow agrees, Kyiv would also accept.

Russian strikes on October 2 forced the closure or partial closure of three bridges in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, causing severe traffic congestion and resulting in casualties.

A Russian drone struck a school in Kyiv on the morning of October 1 and started a fire, with more than one hundred students sheltering inside the school at the time; no one was injured in the incident.

Russian forces used nearly 190 drones and ballistic missiles to strike Kyiv and surrounding energy facilities, killing 5 people, including a child, and injuring 14.

An office building in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv was hit by a drone attack, resulting in four deaths and seven injuries, including a child.

Russia launched overnight attacks on Ukraine, hitting a vegetable storage facility at a farm in the Kharkiv region with a missile, killing 6 workers and injuring 12; another 2 people were killed and 8 injured in Kyiv.

Russia launched overnight attacks on Ukraine, killing 6 workers at a farm facility in Kharkiv Oblast and 2 others in Kyiv; Ukraine stated that civilian infrastructure was targeted.

After the Moscow refinery was hit on September 20, Zelensky spoke with Trump by phone, saying they discussed many issues and agreed to meet in New York, and thanking Trump for arranging visits to Kyiv by Witkoff and Kushner and the signing of the Lindsey Graham Act. According to Axios, Trump asked Zelensky to stop striking Russian refineries to avoid diesel shortages and price hikes; Zelensky said the strikes were aimed at cutting the Russian military's fuel supply, and Trump did not ask him to stop strikes on Russian territory.

On September 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Japan's NHK in Kyiv that China has not remained neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, and that Chinese-made components are present in the missiles and drones used by the Russian military. Zelenskyy believes that China has massive influence over Russia, yet has seen no pressure from the Chinese side to end the war, and expressed regret that China has not politically stood on Ukraine's side.

In the early hours of September 17, Russian missiles and drones attacked Ukraine, injuring 20 people in Kyiv, 6 in Odesa, and 3 in Zaporizhzhia, while energy infrastructure in Sumy Oblast and Odesa Oblast was damaged. A Russian drone also struck a civilian vessel flying the Tanzanian flag in the Black Sea, killing the captain and injuring three crew members.

On September 13, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several European officials encountered a drone threat and were briefly evacuated while traveling by train from Kyiv. Another passenger train on the same route was subsequently struck by a Russian drone at the Yahodyn station in Ukraine; no casualties were reported. Ukrainian railway authorities suggested that the attack may have originally been intended for the train carrying the European officials.

In an interview aired on CBS on September 15, Zelenskyy stated that there is currently no agreement to stop attacking energy facilities, refuting Trump's previous claim that the two countries had agreed to cease such strikes. He noted that U.S. envoys Witkoff and Kushner proposed the idea during their visit to Kyiv, stating that any truce would imply an absolute halt to attacks on energy infrastructure.

On September 15, Russia launched 200 drones overnight at Kyiv and other cities, killing two people and destroying two gas stations in Kyiv; Ukraine struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast as well as drone production facilities in Taganrog and Oryol Oblast.此前 Trump said the two countries had agreed to stop attacking energy facilities.

Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels on September 14, 2026, Rutte said that the drone attack carried out by Russia on the Ukraine-Poland border near NATO territory showed Putin's desperation and would prompt NATO to increase its support for Kyiv.

In September 2026, U.S. presidential envoys Witkoff and Kushner first visited Moscow, then traveled via Poland by special diplomatic train to Kyiv for the first time, holding several hours of talks with Zelensky. Zelensky said the territorial issue can only be resolved at the leadership level, and both sides gave positive assessments of their future outlook, but major differences remain over the Donbas issue.

Russian drones attacked the Ukrainian capital region for the fifth consecutive day on August 31, damaging warehouses, apartment buildings and retail outlets in the Kyiv region and injuring four people.

During the SCO summit, Xi Jinping met with Putin, and the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline.

Ukraine celebrates the 35th anniversary of its independence, with multiple U.S. and European officials visiting Kyiv. President Zelenskyy stated his desire for peace but emphasized that Ukraine will never surrender easily.

During Ukraine's Independence Day, British Prime Minister Burnham visited Kyiv, accused Russia of making intolerable threats against the UK, and promised to provide Ukraine with declassified technical blueprints and support for long-range missile production.

Russia launched large-scale airstrikes on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and its surrounding areas. Ukraine stated that the Russian military used 115 drones, 24 ballistic missiles, and 4 cruise missiles.

During a visit to Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a joint drone production agreement with Ukraine, planning to combine Ukrainian technology with the scale of European industry to expand production.

Hours before the meeting between Trump and Zelensky, Russia launched attacks on multiple locations across Ukraine, killing at least 7 people, including one person in Kyiv.

From the evening of July 1st to the early morning of July 2nd, Russia launched drone and missile attacks on Kyiv for approximately 11 hours, resulting in 20 deaths, nearly 90 injuries, and damage to multiple residential buildings and civilian facilities.

The Ukrainian Air Force stated that the Russian army launched 74 missiles and 496 drones, including 24 ballistic missiles; air defense departments reported that multiple missiles and drones hit their targets.