Ukraine Struck by Nine-Hour Russian Drone Attack as Zelenskyy Ousts Key Confidant

Kyiv endured one of its longest and most destructive nights of the war as waves of Russian drones struck the city for more than nine hours from Friday into Saturday, killing at least one civilian, wounding over a dozen, and knocking out electricity across western districts. Residential buildings were hit in multiple areas, fires broke out, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that power restoration teams were working under continued threat while the capital remained on edge.

The assault came mere hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a political earthquake by dismissing his chief of staff and closest confidant, Andriy Yermak, following a dramatic raid on Yermak’s apartment by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators are probing alleged links to a $100 million kickback scheme in the strategic energy sector – a scandal that erupted while Russia systematically targets the same power grid, deepening public fury over corruption at the highest levels.

For years the 54-year-old former film producer had been the gatekeeper to the president, deciding who could reach Zelenskyy and shaping almost every major wartime decision. Known in Kyiv as the “vice-president,” Yermak was distrusted by two-thirds of Ukrainians according to recent polls, yet he remained Zelenskyy’s indispensable ally, sharing an underground bunker office and even leisure time. His abrupt removal, confirmed by presidential decree within minutes of the resignation announcement, has stunned the political elite.

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With Russian troops pushing forward in the east and a crucial Ukrainian delegation heading to Washington this weekend to discuss a U.S. peace proposal that Kyiv fears will force major concessions, the loss of Yermak could not have come at a more fragile moment. Defence Minister Rustem Umerov has stepped in to lead the talks at the last minute, while Zelenskyy promised a full reorganisation of his office and urged national unity in the face of Moscow’s obvious attempt to exploit the chaos.

As dawn broke over a darkened and damaged capital, repair crews raced to restore power and investigators continued their work, the intertwined crises of battlefield setbacks, high-level corruption, and the shattering of Zelenskyy’s inner circle have thrust the president into the most dangerous political storm of the entire war.

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