Russian strikes kill four in Ukraine amid peace push

Russian attacks killed four people and wounded several others in Ukraine overnight, as Kyiv and Moscow prepared for the arrival of US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for a fresh diplomatic push to revive peace talks.

The attacks came despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Kyiv would suspend airstrikes during the US officials’ visit and calling on Moscow to do the same to ensure the talks could proceed safely.

In Ukraine’s southern Dnipropetrovsk region, four people were killed and five injured in a strike on an industrial facility, according to regional authorities. Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had targeted two metallurgical plants that it described as key suppliers to Ukraine’s military industry.

Further strikes damaged homes and an apartment building in the Nikopol district, while two people were injured in attacks on the Kyiv region. A fire following a strike partially damaged a nine-storey residential building in Boryspil.

In Mykolaiv, Russian drones repeatedly targeted a shopping centre, damaging commercial premises and triggering fires. A 72-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were injured, Ukrainian emergency services said.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched ballistic missiles and 167 attack drones overnight, including Shahed-type and jet-powered drones. Air defences reportedly intercepted or suppressed 128 drones.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes wounded three people, including a 14-year-old girl, in Russia’s Belgorod region. Russia said its forces had destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones overnight.

The latest attacks come as the war continues along the roughly 1,250-km front line, with diplomatic efforts facing renewed pressure despite the planned US intervention.

with inputs from PTI