Russia launched a large-scale drone attack on Ukraine between late Thursday and early Friday, killing seven people and damaging civilian infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities said.
Ukraine’s state emergency service released images showing heavy damage to a factory belonging to Yagotynske for Kids, a company that produces dairy products for children. Flames were visible inside the building, and part of its façade had collapsed.
Kyiv region governor Mykola Kalashnyk said the strike hit a civilian food industry facility. He later confirmed that four people were killed in the region as a result of the attack.
In separate incidents, two people died in strikes on the central Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional governor Oleksandr Ganzha. A drone attack in the southern Zaporizhzhia region killed one woman, Ukraine’s emergency services reported.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched at least 216 drones along with two missiles during the overnight assault.
Drone attacks by both Russia and Ukraine have intensified in recent months, while US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war — now in its fifth year — remain stalled amid broader regional tensions.
Late Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying only top-level talks could resolve key issues. The Kremlin acknowledged receiving the letter but said Putin had not yet reviewed it.
Putin has previously rejected meeting Zelensky before a final agreement and has questioned the Ukrainian leader’s legitimacy. Russia continues to demand Ukraine’s full withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region, while Kyiv is calling for a comprehensive ceasefire along current front lines before territorial negotiations.
