Russian Drone Strikes Kill Nine Across Ukraine

Russian attacks have killed nine people across Ukraine, including six in the central Dnipropetrovsk region bordering the frontline. Moscow and Kyiv have intensified strikes in recent weeks, while US-led talks to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II remain stalled. In Kryvyi Rig, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, two men aged 25 and 34 and a 54-year-old woman were killed, according to regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha. Ganzha posted images showing the attack site, with smouldering debris and destroyed buildings. Separate Russian strikes in the same region killed three others, while attacks in the southern regions of Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson each claimed one life, local authorities reported. Russia launched 135 drones at Ukraine overnight on Tuesday, with the Ukrainian air force stating that 118 were shot down. Russia has pummelled Ukraine with near-daily drone and missile strikes throughout its invasion, which is now entering its fifth year. Ukraine has also stepped up its own attacks, frequently targeting oil depots and refineries in Russia that it claims are used to finance the war.