Russia fired a massive wave of drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, killing at least four people, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
The air strikes came just a day before Ukraine's international allies were set to meet in Paris, France, for high-level talks focused on pressuring Russia to end its war, which has now lasted for more than four years.
Ukraine's air defences have come under immense strain from repeated Russian ballistic missile strikes in recent weeks. To help ease this pressure, the United States (US) gave Ukraine political permission to build US-designed Patriot air defence systems.
These advanced systems are highly capable of shooting down incoming Russian ballistic missiles, though experts note it may still be months before local production lines actually begin manufacturing them.
Three people were killed during the Russian attacks on Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region overnight. Regional officials confirmed that two of those victims died when a missile struck an industrial enterprise in the city of Kryvyi Rig.
A completely separate drone strike targeted the southern city of Kherson overnight. Kherson Mayor Yaroslav Shanko reported that the drone attack killed a 48-year-old resident, as emergency teams continue to clear debris and secure the affected residential areas.
