Kyiv, May 1: A Russian drone attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa early Thursday killed two people and injured 15 others, Ukrainian emergency services said.
Regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said the barrage struck apartment buildings, private homes, a supermarket and a school.
Videos shared by Kiper on Telegram showed a high-rise building with a severely damaged facade, a shattered storefront, and firefighters battling flames.
A drone struck and ignited a fire at a petrol station in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia sent 170 exploding drones and decoys into five Ukrainian regions in the latest wave of attacks overnight into Thursday. It said 74 of them were intercepted and another 68 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed.
In addition to the drones, it said Russia launched five ballistic missiles during the overnight assault.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said Sunday that air defences shot down eight Ukrainian drones overnight.
The latest wave of attacks came after the US and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, finalising a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire next week in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II as the US presses for a deal to end the 3-year-old war.
The Kremlin said the truce to mark Russia’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 — the country’s biggest secular holiday — will run from the start of May 8 and last through the end of May 10.
Ukraine, which has previously agreed to US President Donald Trump’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, dismissed Putin’s move. In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for an immediate ceasefire lasting “at least 30 days.” (AP)
