Four people have been killed and dozens more injured in a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Local officials said that an aerial strike on Thursday night hit high-rise residences in the Novobavarskyi District, resulting in one complex catching fire.
The city has been the target of several fatal nighttime Russian assaults in recent days, even as the U.S. pushes Moscow to accept a blanket ceasefire proposal that Kyiv has already agreed to.
Other Ukrainian cities were also hit overnight, including Dnipro, in the southeast, where authorities say three people were injured in a mass drone attack.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, further south, at least seven drones attacked targets in the region, injuring one, the regional governor said. Air defenses shot down 42 of the 78 drones launched by Russia in total, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
One killed in Russia
Meanwhile, Russian officials said that one man was killed by a Ukrainian drone strike on the western Bryansk region.
Governor Alexander Bogomaz wrote on the Telegram messaging app that two people had suffered shrapnel wounds from the attack on the village of Belaya Berezka, with the man later dying in hospital.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that 107 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed in total.
The fighting continues in Ukraine despite American efforts to secure a truce.
Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking a limited ceasefire deal preventing attacks on energy infrastructure, while there is disagreement over the interpretation of an agreement to stop naval clashes on the Black Sea.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday that he had informed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “Russia’s recent violations of the energy ceasefire,” adding that Moscow “continues to drag its feet” on peace talks.
Talks in Brussels and Washington
Rubio, the U.S. top diplomat, spoke to Sybiha in Brussels, where he has been attending a summit of NATO foreign ministers, many of whom have been resolute in their backing of Ukraine amid a turbulent period for Kyiv-Washington relations.
A senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with officials in the U.S. capital on Thursday. Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin’s investment envoy, said that he saw a “positive dynamic” in discussions but more meetings were needed to sort out differences.
Figures in U.S. President Donald Trump’s inner circle are advising him against a call with Putin until the Russian president commits to a full ceasefire with Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing administration officials. Trump previously said he planned to talk to Putin this week.
