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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s latest deadly attacks on Kyiv as he visited Serbia on Saturday, a European country that has maintained close ties with Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine. Four people, including a child, were killed in overnight Russian strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region, while Ukrainian forces attacked Russian oil facilities. Zelenskyy arrived in Belgrade on Friday for his first official visit to Serbia. At a joint news conference with Zelenskyy, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called Ukraine a “friendly nation” and said he was pleased to host the Ukrainian leader. It was the first visit by a Ukrainian president to Serbia in eight years. The two leaders discussed their countries’ efforts to join the European Union, bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation. Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine regularly come under Russian drone and missile attacks. Ukraine’s air defenses have struggled to cope with the scale of the attacks as its supply of interceptors remains limited. At the same time, Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities have become increasingly frequent, causing fuel shortages and putting pressure on Moscow. Patriot missile supplies slowVucic, who has kept close relations with Moscow and declined to impose sanctions on Russia, said Serbia respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and that its position would not change. The stance has drawn pressure from the European Union. “The situation in Ukraine is difficult,” Zelenskyy said. “There was another missile strike last night — ballistic missiles targeting our infrastructure. There were also attack drones.” He said deliveries of Patriot air defense interceptors, the only weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, have slowed compared with last year. “There are fewer of these missiles in 2026,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine received more each month in 2025. Zelenskyy said the US has agreed to allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot interceptors, but the plan has been delayed by paperwork. “The process for some of these licenses is also taking a long time,” he said. Child killed with grandparentsThe talks in Belgrade came after Russian drones destroyed a family home in Brovary district, northeast of Kyiv, killing a three-year-old child and the child’s grandparents, according to local officials. Three other family members and a neighbour who came to help were injured and taken to hospital. The attack destroyed the house and damaged nearby buildings and vehicles. Zelenskyy said at least one other person was killed in an attack involving six ballistic missiles targeting civilian infrastructure in Kyiv. Ukraine’s air force said it had shot down or intercepted 135 of 151 Russian drones launched overnight. The attack also included six ballistic missiles and other guided missiles. Russia has repeatedly attacked populated areas across Ukraine, although Moscow says its forces target only military facilities. Ukraine’s Defence Ministry said Friday that its air defenses had destroyed or intercepted around 5,300 Russian drones and missiles last month. That was just under 60% of the roughly 9,000 drones and missiles Russia launched during the period. Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged countries, particularly the US, to provide more air defense ammunition. Supplies have become tighter amid the war involving Iran. He has also sought permission to produce Patriot interceptors in Ukraine and called for stronger measures to disrupt Russia’s ability to manufacture ballistic missiles. Following the latest attacks, Zelenskyy appealed on X for additional sanctions aimed at stopping the production of Russian ballistic missiles, as well as more anti-ballistic systems and interceptor missiles. Ukraine targets Russian oil facilitiesIn Russia, six people were injured after a fire broke out at the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the southern Krasnodar region. Local officials said debris from a downed drone caused the fire. Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had struck the refinery in Krasnodar as well as the Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia’s Samara region, more than 800 kilometres from Ukraine. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed that drones had hit an industrial facility but did not identify it as an oil refinery. Ukraine has carried out near-daily long-range drone and missile attacks on Russian oil facilities using domestically developed weapons. The strikes have disrupted Russia’s fuel supply and created shortages, putting further pressure on the Kremlin.

Russian drone and missile attacks killed four people, including a child, in Kyiv and the surrounding region on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, as Ukraine carried out another strike on a Russian oil facility. The attacks came as Ukraine’s air defenses struggle to cope with frequent Russian drone and missile barrages amid Moscow’s nearly four-year-old full-scale invasion. Grandparents, grandson killedTwo grandparents and their 3-year-old grandson were killed when several Russian drones destroyed their home in the Brovary district of the Kyiv region, northeast of the capital, authorities said. Three other members of the family and a neighbor who came to help were hospitalized. The attack reduced the house to rubble and damaged nearby buildings and vehicles. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least one more person was killed in an attack involving six ballistic missiles that struck civilian infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down or intercepted 135 of 151 Russian drones launched overnight. The attack also involved six ballistic missiles and other guided missiles. Russia says its forces target only military facilities, but Ukrainian officials say civilian areas have repeatedly come under attack. Ukraine is facing a serious shortage of interceptors for its US-made Patriot air defense systems, which are capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy has repeatedly urged Western countries, particularly the United States, to provide more Patriot ammunition. He has also called for Ukraine to be allowed to produce the interceptors domestically. Following Saturday’s attacks, Zelenskyy called on X for tougher sanctions to restrict production of Russian ballistic missiles and for more air defense and interceptor missiles. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses destroyed around 5,300 Russian drones and missiles last month, accounting for just under 60% of about 9,000 such weapons launched by Russia. Ukraine strikes Russian oil facilityIn Russia, five people were injured when a fire broke out at the Ilsky Oil Refinery in the southern Krasnodar region after debris from a downed drone fell on the facility, local officials said. Ukraine has carried out near-daily long-range drone and missile attacks on Russian oil facilities using domestically produced weapons. The strikes have disrupted fuel supplies in Russia and created growing pressure on the Kremlin. Zelenskyy visits SerbiaThe latest attacks came hours after Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia on Friday for his first official visit to the country. Serbia is among the few European countries that have maintained close relations with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy said important talks were scheduled during his visit and that he would meet Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Djuro Macut. The discussions will focus on strengthening economic ties, relations with the European Union and security issues, he said.

A Russian ballistic missile strike near Kyiv on Friday killed at least 10 people and injured nearly 100 others after hitting a site hosting a defence industry event, Ukrainian officials said. The attack came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with senior representatives of US defence company Raytheon, which manufactures Patriot air defence systems that Ukraine says are essential to counter Russia's ballistic missile attacks. Raytheon did not immediately comment on whether any of its employees were present at the event. "Missiles for Patriot systems are the number one priority," Zelenskyy wrote on social media while confirming the attack. According to acting regional military administration head Ruslan Oliinyk, the missile struck the grounds of a privately operated military training facility in Bucha district, about 20 to 30 kilometres from central Kyiv. The site was hosting a defence-related gathering when it was hit. Emergency teams rushed to the scene, where 27 houses and 44 vehicles were also damaged, officials said. The Ukrainian Defence Industry Council, the country's largest association of private defence manufacturers, confirmed that industry representatives were attending the event, but did not disclose further details. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said authorities had launched a war crimes investigation into the Russian strike, along with a separate probe into possible negligence over the organisation of the event. Investigators will examine who approved the venue, timing and format of the gathering and whether sufficient safety measures had been taken. The Ukrainian government later imposed restrictions on reporting details of the attack. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials said a separate strike on a military facility in Russia killed six people and injured 26 others, according to the regional governor. Zelenskyy pushes for Patriot co-productionThe meeting between Zelenskyy and Raytheon representatives took place less than three weeks after US President Donald Trump pledged to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot systems under licence. Zelenskyy said the company was ready to work with Ukraine on the joint production of Patriot interceptor missiles, adding that government officials and private-sector representatives would continue discussions on the project. Ukraine has repeatedly urged its Western allies to provide more Patriot systems, which are considered one of the few effective defences against Russian ballistic missiles. While Ukraine has developed its own air defence technologies, officials say expanding domestic production remains critical, though experts caution that establishing local manufacturing could take years. The meeting also reflected improving ties between Kyiv and Washington. Laura Loomer, a prominent Trump ally, also visited Kyiv on Thursday and criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin over missile attacks on Ukraine. Ukraine expands drone strikes inside RussiaUkraine has continued stepping up long-range drone attacks inside Russia, targeting military and logistical infrastructure as it seeks to disrupt Moscow's war effort. On Friday, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck an oil facility about 1,350 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, along with a military plant in Russia's Kirov region that produces aircraft and missile components. Regional Governor Alexander Sokolov said six people were killed and 26 injured in the attack on the military facility. Russian outlet Astra identified the site as the Avitec plant, which manufactures air defence missiles and aircraft components. Ukraine also targeted several logistics centres belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. Company founder Tatyana Kim said warehouses in St. Petersburg, the neighbouring Leningrad region and Simferopol in Russian-annexed Crimea came under attack. Russian media published images showing thick smoke rising over St. Petersburg. Ukrainian forces had struck four other Wildberries facilities earlier this week, causing major fires. Kyiv says its campaign aims to disrupt Russia's military logistics and bring the impact of the war closer to ordinary Russians. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defence systems shot down 571 Ukrainian drones overnight.

At least one person was killed and eight others were injured after Russia launched an overnight missile attack on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, local authorities said on Saturday. The attack began around 1:30 a.m. local time and lasted for several hours, with multiple explosions heard across the city. According to Ukraine's State Emergency Service, the strikes triggered fires in five districts of Kyiv, damaging homes, office buildings, industrial facilities, a student dormitory and several vehicles. Rescue teams pulled four people from a burning house in the Sviatoshynskyi district. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, firefighters evacuated residents from a three-storey building that caught fire following the attack. Authorities later recovered one body from the site. Emergency crews also extinguished fires in the Solomyanskyi, Desnianskyi and Dnipro districts. The latest strike comes as Russia has intensified large-scale attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks while Ukraine continues to face a shortage of Patriot air defence missiles, which are considered its most effective system for intercepting Russian ballistic missiles. US President Donald Trump has said he is willing to allow Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles under licence, a move that could strengthen the country's air defence capabilities. However, details of the plan and when it could be implemented have not yet been announced.

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv overnight Sunday, damaging buildings across the city and injuring at least 10 people, local authorities said. The intense assault shook several areas in central Kyiv, including locations near government offices, residential buildings and schools. Air raid sirens sounded throughout the night as smoke rose over different parts of the city following the strikes. Associated Press journalists in Kyiv reported hearing loud explosions near the city center and government areas. Officials said the attack was still continuing by sunrise, with more missiles and drones expected to hit the capital. According to Kyiv military administration chief Tymur Tkachenko, damage was reported in at least nine districts of the city, including residential buildings. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said a school building in the Shevchenko district was damaged while people were taking shelter inside. Authorities also reported damage to supermarkets and warehouses in different parts of the capital. In the wider Kyiv region, several communities were affected by the attacks, regional governor Mykola Kalashnyk said. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia could use its hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile, citing intelligence information shared by the United States and Western allies. Ukraine’s Air Force later also warned about a possible launch of the Oreshnik missile, although officials had not confirmed whether it was used in the overnight strikes. Russia first used the Oreshnik missile against the Ukrainian city of Dnipro in November 2024 and later used it again in the western Lviv region in January. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed the missile travels at 10 times the speed of sound and can destroy underground bunkers several floors deep. Putin also said the missile is capable of bypassing missile defense systems and, even with conventional warheads, can cause destruction similar to a nuclear strike.

At least four people were killed and 15 others injured after Russia launched a large overnight missile and drone attack on the Kyiv region early Saturday, local officials said. Mykola Kalashnyk, head of Kyiv’s regional administration, said the strikes hit four districts, damaging homes, schools, businesses and key infrastructure. Three of the injured were in critical condition and two of them were undergoing surgery, he said in a social media post. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the main target of the attack was energy infrastructure in the Kyiv region. According to him, Russia launched about 430 drones and 68 missiles during the overnight assault. The attack came shortly after the United States postponed planned peace talks between Russia and Ukraine this week, citing the ongoing war in the Middle East. Despite strong criticism of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Russia has not taken direct action to support its ally. Analysts say Moscow’s limited response shows the limits of its influence, although the Kremlin could still gain from the situation. Rising global energy prices are boosting Russia’s revenues, while the Middle East conflict may also shift international attention away from Ukraine. Zelenskyy warned that Russia could use the global crisis to intensify attacks on Ukraine and urged Western partners to focus fully on strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. “Russia will try to take advantage of the war in the Middle East to cause even more destruction here in Europe, in Ukraine,” he said on social media. He called for increased production of air defense missiles in Europe, especially those capable of intercepting ballistic missiles, to better protect civilians. Ukraine is also waiting for approval from the White House for a proposed joint drone production agreement with the United States, which Kyiv believes would help strengthen its defenses. Earlier this week, Zelenskyy also criticized Washington’s decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian oil exports for 30 days, saying the move could provide Moscow with about $10 billion and prolong the war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck targets in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region overnight. Local officials said an oil refinery and the Port Kavkaz facility were hit, injuring three people and damaging a service vessel and port infrastructure.  Authorities also said falling drone debris caused a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery, though no casualties were reported there. Both Russia and Ukraine have recently claimed progress along the front lines, with Kyiv saying its forces pushed back Russian troops in some areas, while Moscow insists its offensive continues to advance.  

At least 20 people were injured in a combined missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight Tuesday, according to Ukrainian authorities, marking the latest in a series of intensified Russian assaults on the capital. The strike coincided with the ongoing Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending. The summit, hosted by Canada as this year’s G7 chair, is scheduled to conclude Tuesday. Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko reported that nine people were injured in the Sviatoshynskyi district, while 11 others were wounded in the Solomianskyi district. Six of the victims required hospitalization. Fires also broke out in two additional districts after debris from intercepted missiles fell, officials said. Zelenskyy, invited to the G7 summit by Canada, is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders during his visit. He was also scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, though the White House later confirmed Trump would cut his trip short and return to Washington amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Russia returns bodies of 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers under Istanbul agreement Russia has ramped up its aerial bombardments in recent weeks, launching a record number of drones and missiles. The escalation follows a bold operation by Ukraine’s Security Service, which reportedly targeted Russian warplanes stationed at air bases deep within Russian territory. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict have seen little advancement. President Zelenskyy noted that direct negotiations in Istanbul have so far yielded only limited outcomes, with a prisoner swap expected to be finalized next week being one of the few tangible results.    

KYIV, Ukraine,Aug 16(AP/UNB) Russia resumed its targeting of grain infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Odesa region, local officials said Wednesday, using drones in overnight strikes on storage facilities and ports along the Danube River that Kyiv has increasingly used for grain transport to Europe after Moscow broke off a key wartime export deal through the Black Sea. Read also:Ukraine accuses Russia of targeting rescue workers with consecutive missile strikes At the same time, a loaded container ship stuck at the port of Odesa since Russia's full-scale invasion more than 17 months ago set sail and was heading through the Black Sea to the Bosporus along a temporary corridor established by Ukraine for merchant shipping. Read also:Russia promises retaliation after Ukrainian drones hit a Russian tanker in 2nd sea attack in a day Ukraine's economy, crunched by the war, is heavily dependent on farming. Its agricultural exports, like those of Russia, are also crucial for world supplies of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food that developing nations rely on. Read also:US to send $200 million in military aid to Ukraine After the Kremlin tore up a month ago an agreement brokered last summer by the U.N. and Turkey to ensure safe Ukraine grain exports through the Black Sea, Kyiv has sought to reroute transport through the Danube and road and rail links into Europe. But transport costs that way are much higher, some European countries have balked at the consequences for local grain prices, and the Danube ports can't handle the same volume as seaports. Odesa Gov. Oleh Kiper said the primary targets of Russia's overnight drone bombardment were port terminals and grain silos, including at the ports in the Danube delta. Air defenses managed to intercept 13 drones, according to Kiper. It was the latest attack amid weeks of aerial strikes as Russia has targeted the Danube delta ports, which are only about 15 kilometers (10 miles) from the Romanian border. The Danube is Europe's second-longest river and a key transport route. Meanwhile, the container ship departing Odesa was the first vessel to set sail since July 16, according to Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine's deputy prime minister. It had been stuck in Odesa since February 2022. The Hong Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte was traveling down a temporary corridor that Ukraine asked the International Maritime Organization to ratify. The United States has warned that the Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea. Sea mines also make the voyage risky, and ship insurance costs are likely to be high for operators. Ukraine told the IMO it would would "provide guarantees of compensation for damage." Last Sunday, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a Palau-flagged cargo ship in the south Black Sea. According to Russia's Defense Ministry, the Sukru Okan was heading northwards to the Ukrainian Danube River port of Izmail. Ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press confirmed that the Joseph Schulte was steaming south. The Joseph Schulte is carrying more than 30,000 tons of cargo, with 2,114 containers, including food products, according to Kubrakov. He said the corridor will be primarily used to evacuate ships stuck in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdennyi since the outbreak of war. On the war's front line, Ukrainian officials claimed another milestone in Kyiv's grinding counteroffensive, with Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar saying troops have retaken a village in the eastern Donetsk region. The village of Urozhaine is near Staromaiorske, a hamlet that Ukraine also claimed to have recaptured recently. The claims could not be independently verified. Ukraine appears to be trying to drive a wedge between Russian forces in the south, but it is up against strong defensive lines and is advancing without air support. Also Wednesday, the Russian military said it shot down three drones over the Kaluga region southwest of Moscow and blamed the attack on Ukraine. No damage or casualties were reported.

Ukraine's capital was subjected to the largest drone attack since the start of Russia's war, local officials said, as Kyiv prepared to mark the anniversary of its founding on Sunday (May 28, 2023). At least one person was killed. Russia launched the "most massive attack" on the city overnight Saturday with Iranian-made Shahed drones, said Serhii Popko, a senior Kyiv military official. The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defense reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones. A 41-year-old man was killed and a 35-year-old woman was hospitalized when debris fell on a seven-story nonresidential building and started a fire, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukraine's air force said that Saturday night was also record-breaking in terms of Shahed drone attacks across the country. Of the 54 drones launched, 52 were shot down by air defense systems. Read more: Russian prime minister says pressure from West is strengthening ties with China In the northeastern Kharkiv province, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said a 61-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man were killed in two separate shelling attacks. Kyiv Day marks the anniversary of Kyiv's official founding. The day is usually celebrated with live concerts, street fairs, exhibitions and fireworks. Scaled-back festivities were planned for this year, the city's 1,541st anniversary. The timing of the drone attacks was likely not coincidental, Ukrainian officials said. "The history of Ukraine is a long-standing irritant for the insecure Russians," Ukraine's chief presidential aide, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram. Read more: The cyber gulag: How Russia tracks, censors and controls its citizens "Today, the enemy decided to 'congratulate' the people of Kyiv on Kyiv Day with the help of their deadly UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)," Popko also wrote on the messaging app. Local officials in Russia's southern Krasnodar region said that air defense systems destroyed several drones as they approached the Ilsky oil refinery. Drone attacks against Russian border regions have been a regular occurrence since the start of the invasion in February 2022, with attacks increasing last month. Earlier this month, an oil refinery in Krasnodar was attacked by drones on two straight days. Read more: Russia fights alleged incursion from Ukraine for 2nd day, reports more drone attacks

Loud explosions sounded above Kyiv early Tuesday as Russia launched an intense air attack on the capital using a combination of missiles launched from the air, sea and land. Russia's latest attack on Kyiv was “exceptional in its density — the maximum number of attacking missiles in the shortest period of time,” said Serhii Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration. It is the eighth time this month that Russian air raids have targeted the capital, a clear escalation after weeks of lull and ahead of a much-anticipated Ukrainian counter-offensive. It also comes as President Volodymyr Zelenksyy concludes a whirlwind European tour to greet Ukraine's key wartime allies, which spurred an additional tranche of pledged military aid. Also Read: Zelenskyy's European tour aimed to replenish Ukraine's arsenal and build political support “According to preliminary information the vast majority of enemy targets in the airspace of Kyiv were detected and destroyed,” said Popko. Ukraine's Air Force said 18 missiles of various types were launched, including drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. All were intercepted and shot down, said Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat. Six “Kinzhal” aero-ballistic missiles were launched from MiG-31K aircraft, nine cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three land-based S-400 cruise missiles targeted the capital, said Ihnat in a statement on Telegram. After the first onslaught, Russia also launched Iranian-made Shahed attack drones and conducted aerial reconnaissance, Ihnat said. Debris fell across several districts in the capital. In the Solomyansky district, causing a fire in a non-residential building. The fire was extinguished. Debris set cars on fire and fell on the grounds of a zoo, but no losses were reported, said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.