KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a wave of drone attacks against Kyiv on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring 41 others, Ukrainian authorities said. The strikes came just hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was scheduled to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The attacks continued into the afternoon, sending columns of black smoke over parts of the capital. Authorities reported fires and damage to buildings in Kyiv and other areas of Ukraine following overnight and daytime drone strikes.

Zelenskyy was in New York as part of efforts to secure continued international support for Ukraine as the war with Russia enters its fifth year. During his visit, he met with European leaders and was expected to hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

In his address to the U.N. General Assembly, Zelenskyy urged countries to further restrict Russia’s oil revenues, arguing that reducing Moscow’s income could limit its ability to finance the war.

“When someone gives Russia more money through trade, they give this war more time,” Zelenskyy said, calling for continued efforts to restrict economic resources that support Russia’s military campaign.

Zelenskyy had also met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump has expressed frustration over the lack of progress in negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, while both Russia and Ukraine have continued launching long-range attacks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who represented Moscow at the U.N. gathering instead of President Vladimir Putin, said Wednesday that Russia remained open to negotiations. However, he said Moscow would not agree to a temporary halt in fighting before a broader peace agreement is reached.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump had invited Putin to attend the upcoming G20 meeting in Miami in December. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow had received the invitation and said the matter would be discussed through diplomatic channels.

Ukraine has also carried out attacks against Russian infrastructure, including oil refineries that are important to the country’s economy. Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s goal was to reduce Russia’s ability to finance and sustain its military operations.

The Ukrainian president said Kyiv was seeking possible steps toward de-escalation, including an end to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Ukraine also wants to maintain the shipment of grain through the Black Sea despite the continuing conflict.

Kyiv has continued to seek additional U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems to defend against Russian ballistic missiles. However, the systems are in high demand following the outbreak of war in Iran, according to the report.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, two men, aged 37 and 39, were wounded in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia after a Russian strike triggered a large fire at a shopping mall. Emergency crews said the blaze spread across approximately 6,000 square meters before being brought under control.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had targeted Ukrainian military-industrial and energy facilities, logistics centers and vessels during overnight attacks. The ministry also claimed that Russian air defenses had intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones over several Russian regions, Crimea and waters surrounding the Sea of Azov and Black Sea.

In a separate development, Poland’s military reported that a Russian military helicopter briefly entered Polish airspace near the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Polish authorities said the incident appeared to indicate another test of the country’s air defense readiness.

SOURCE: Associated Press (AP), Samya Kullab, September 24, 2026.