Russian aerial attacks near Kyiv on Friday killed three people and left several others injured, Ukrainian officials reported, while Ukrainian drones struck targets in 12 Russian regions, including halting operations at one factory.
Moscow has been conducting near-daily drone and missile attacks on Kyiv since launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, mostly targeting military and energy infrastructure.
In Kyiv, black smoke rose from a residential building damaged by the Russian strike, and rescue workers were seen pulling out the victims’ bodies. “Three people were killed in an enemy attack in the Kyiv region,” Ukraine’s emergency services said in a statement. Fragments from a drone hit a 10-storey residential building, and a private home in the area was also damaged.
The Ukrainian air force reported shooting down 25 Russian attack drones over seven regions, including Kyiv and the western Lviv region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned Russia’s actions and called for stronger sanctions against Moscow. He urged Ukrainian allies to hold Russia accountable for producing and supplying weapons, particularly Shahed drones and missiles, in violation of sanctions.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow. The Russian defense ministry stated its air defense systems shot down 121 Ukrainian drones over Moscow, Crimea, and the western Bryansk region. State media also reported that six Ukrainian drones had damaged a microelectronics factory in Bryansk, forcing the halt of production and storage operations.
As the conflict continues, both Moscow and Kyiv are seeking to gain leverage ahead of potential peace talks. In the US, President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Russia, threatening to impose heavy tariffs, taxes, and sanctions if Moscow does not agree to end the war soon. In an interview on Thursday, Trump stated: “If they don’t settle this war soon, like almost immediately, I’m going to put massive tariffs on Russia, massive taxes, and also big sanctions.”
