At least seven people were killed in a wave of drone attacks across Ukraine, with three fatalities reported in Kyiv and four in the Donetsk region, local officials said on Sunday.
The attacks came just ahead of crucial ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where Ukraine and Russia are expected to engage in indirect U.S.-mediated talks on Monday.
The Ukrainian delegation, led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is set to meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia a day before the negotiations.
The discussions are expected to focus on a possible partial ceasefire, particularly targeting long-range assaults on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure. Technical teams from Ukraine are also being dispatched to discuss the details of the proposed agreement.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 147 drones across Ukraine, of which 97 were shot down, while 25 others failed to reach their targets due to countermeasures. The strikes hit multiple regions, including Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, Donetsk, and the capital, Kyiv.
In Kyiv, a drone attack claimed the lives of three people, including a 5-year-old child, and injured ten others, the city’s military administration reported.
Explosions echoed through the capital as air raid sirens blared for over five hours. Falling debris from intercepted drones caused significant damage to residential buildings.
Firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish fires caused by the attacks. Residents woke to survey the destruction, with many expressing skepticism about the upcoming ceasefire talks.
Among them, Dmytro Zapadnya, a 37-year-old resident of a damaged multistory building in Kyiv, dismissed the prospects of any meaningful agreement with Russia.
“There is no point in signing anything with the Russians because it will not be worth the cost of the paper on which the signatures are written,” Zapadnya said. “The most troubling part is that the United States seems to have little understanding of our situation.”
Elsewhere, in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, four people were killed in Russian strikes, including three in the front-line town of Dobropillya, regional Governor Vadym Filashkin confirmed.
In a social media statement, President Zelenskyy condemned the continued assaults, emphasizing their frequency and intensity.
“This week alone, more than 1,580 guided aerial bombs, almost 1,100 strike drones, and 15 missiles of various types were used against our people,” Zelenskyy stated. “New solutions are needed, with increased pressure on Moscow to stop both these strikes and this war.”
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported downing 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 29 over the Rostov region and 20 over southwestern Astrakhan.
In Rostov, one person was killed, and a car caught fire following a Ukrainian drone strike, according to the region’s temporary governor, Yuri Slyusar.
Additionally, in Russia’s Belgorod region, a woman died when a Ukrainian drone struck a vehicle in the village of Novostroyevka-Pervaya. The driver, the woman’s daughter, suffered severe injuries, local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed.
As the conflict intensifies, the upcoming Saudi-hosted negotiations will be closely watched. However, with continued airstrikes and skepticism from Ukrainian citizens, hopes for a sustainable ceasefire remain uncertain.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members