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A father and daughter are among three who were killed overnight after Russia launched a devastating drone attack on Ukraine.
Okeksandr and daughter Nikol had just fled their hometown to avoid the Russian army when they were killed in their Kyiv apartment, United24 media reported.
Vladimir Putin unleashed 147 drones across the country, triggering large fires in apartment buildings across the capital Kyiv.
Rescuers found Okeksandr and five-year-old Nikol amongst the rubble in the Holosiivskyi district of the capital following the attack.
Nikol’s mother was hospitalised, with another 9 people also reported injured.
The assault came a day before the warring countries are expected to hold ceasefire negotiations in Saudi Arabia to discuss an end in long-range attacks targeting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.
Air raid sirens sounded for five hours wave over Kyiv, as drones also targeted the Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa and Donetsk regions.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko described the barrage as a “massive enemy drone attack” on the Ukrainian capital.
The country’s air force said they managed to stop 122 drones reaching their targets.
The low-flying drones and debris struck apartment buildings and killed three people, including Okeksandr and daughter Nikol.
The family had just moved to Kyiv from their home town in the Zaporizhzhia region, in order to escape the approaching Russian army.
Two residential buildings were ravaged by flames in the district of Dnpiro after being hit by drone debris.
A top-storey fire in one building killed a woman, the State Emergency Service said.
The major attack took place as the Ukrainian negotiating team is expected to meet with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia a day ahead of talks with Russia.
Ukraine is planning to send technical teams to discuss the details of the partial ceasefire.
U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a peace deal to end the 1,123 day conflict.
Negotiations are focusing now on a partial ceasefire to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Trump and Putin reportedly brokered a deal for Russia to stop striking crucial Ukrainian infrastructure for 30 days – which Putin promptly broke the next morning.
The Kremlin hit energy infrastructure in Slovyansk, a city in the Donetsk region, leaving large swathes of the city of 100,000 people without power.
In response, Russia accused Ukraine of launching air attacks and the Kremlin said it had shot down 57 Ukrainian drones.
Zelensky said Moscow’s refusal to halt all strikes proved the need for increased pressure on Moscow to prevent Putin from prolonging the war.
‘This confirms that we must continue to pressure Russia for the sake of peace,’ he said on Tuesday night.
‘Only a real halt to Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure can signal a genuine desire to end this war and bring peace closer.’
Ukraine strikes have continued since then, and dozens of drones were launched into enemy territory last night.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its defence systems show down 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, while a drone strike killed a man in Rostov, Russia.
The Ukrainian president said during a press conference in Finland this week that Russian drones were still deployed and that ‘everything will continue to fly’ until ‘there is an appropriate document laying out a ceasefire deal.
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