Russia says four killed in major Ukraine drone barrage
- The attack came a day after intense shuttle diplomacy in US-led talks to end the war approaching its fifth year
Russia reported shooting down nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones overnight, causing four deaths, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and reciprocal drone attacks targeting energy infrastructure.
- Russia's claim of intercepting nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones.
- Fatalities and industrial zone impact from the drone attack.
- Diplomatic talks between US envoys, Putin, and Zelensky.
MOSCOW: Russia said on Friday that it shot down nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones overnight, one of the largest swarms sent by Kyiv that left at least four people dead.
The attack came a day after intense shuttle diplomacy in US-led talks to end the war approaching its fifth year.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held hours of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday before jetting to Dublin to huddle with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“In the course of the previous night… aerial defence systems intercepted and destroyed 1,198” Ukrainian drones over more than 15 Russian regions, Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.
Four people working in an industrial zone, home to an oil refinery and a chemical factory, died in the southern Volgograd region, local authorities said.
On Thursday, Russia fired waves of explosive drones at the Ukrainian capital as Putin hosted the US negotiators in Moscow, in attacks that left at least one person dead.
Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks on Russia’s energy industry over the past 18 months, seeking to cut the Kremlin’s revenues and undermine its ability to finance the war Moscow launched in February 2022.
Ukraine says Russia is targeting its own energy grid with aerial barrages, leaving residents across the country without power as temperatures plunge ahead of winter.