US-Ukraine talks do little to reign in Russian strikes on Kyiv

Russian drone strikes pounded Kyiv’s railway infrastructure, warehouses and fuel stations Wednesday, just hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump to discuss peace efforts.

At least two people were killed ​and ⁠22 were injured in the morning attack, according to city authorities, in one of the heaviest strikes since Russia began attacking Kyiv and nearby areas over the summer with faster and high-flying jet drones that are harder to intercept.

Explosions were heard and smoke billowed above the city center.

“This is the view from the windows of the EU Delegation today. Buildings nearby are burning,” Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said in a social media post.

Zelenskyy met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday to discuss ways to plug Ukraine’s gaping budget deficit, ⁠due ⁠to rising military expenditure that the Ukrainian leader blamed on Russia’s escalating airstrikes.

In his meeting with Trump, Zelenskyy discussed a potential bilateral cease-fire on energy-related targets and asked for increased supplies of U.S. Patriot air defense missiles to defend against an expected Russian winter campaign against Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure. No agreements were reached, he said.

Zelenskyy said he was ready for “any format” of an energy cease-fire with Moscow, as long as Russia halted its own attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

On Wednesday, the Kremlin said the grounds for future peace talks ⁠with Ukraine were still not in place and there were no plans for any high-level meetings.

Gas stations hit

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a drone hit a nine-story non-residential building, as well as a business center ​and warehouses.

Ukrainian oil company Ukrnafta said Russia hit one of its petrol stations in the capital, ​the sixth such facility attacked in recent weeks.

In total, two petrol stations came under attack, authorities said. Reuters TV footage showed one of the heavily damaged stations ⁠on a ‌busy highway.

Oleksandr ‌Pertsovskyi, chief executive of the Ukrainian railway operator, said railway infrastructure ⁠came under attack in Kyiv and one of its ‌workers had been injured.

Energy worker Mykola Nechypurenko, one of a team repairing damage to the power network, was ​skeptical about the prospects for any ⁠energy cease-fire with Russia.

“I don’t think they’ll agree on anything. ⁠As long as the war goes on, energy infrastructure remains under threat,” said Nechypurenko, 55. “I ⁠don’t believe it will ​work. Not until the war ends.”