Major Russian attacks kill at least 7 and wound dozens in Ukraine

A john r. Major Russian assail on ukrayina overnight killed septenary people and injured dozens thomas more, as Moscow launched over 660 drones and missiles in a barrage that targeted the city of Dnipro and hit several other regions.

A large chunk of an apartment building in Dnipro, in Ukraine's southeast, collapsed after being hit during the attack. Four bodies were recovered from the rubble, regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha said.

"The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night," Hanzha wrote on social media platform Telegram of the attacks, which caused fires to break out across Dnipro and partially destroyed several apartment buildings, businesses and a house, wounding 27 people.

Another person was killed in a separate Russian attack on the city Saturday afternoon, according to Hanzha, in the same residential area hit by the overnight strikes. A further seven people were wounded.

Thick columns of black smoke could be seen streaming into the sky on Saturday morning, as local media warned residents in Dnipro about worsening air quality.

A Reuters reporter saw a Russian drone being destroyed in the sky over the ruined apartment block as rescuers were working in the rubble. In total, over 30 people in the city were wounded, officials said.

Moscow has been launching smaller barrages of dozens of drones every night at Ukraine, interspersing them with occasional large-scale attacks that use hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles.

To the southwest, two people were wounded in overnight drone attacks on the Odesa region. Residential buildings, port infrastructure and cars were damaged in the south of the region, regional head Oleh Kiper said Saturday.

"Russia is deliberately prolonging its terror against our people, continuing to target critical infrastructure and residential buildings," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

In the northern region of Chernihiv, missile and drone attacks killed two people and wounded seven others, the governor there said.

"Every strike like this must remind our partners that the situation needs immediate and firm action, rapid strengthening of our air defences," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

In Russia, a woman was killed and a man was seriously wounded by a Ukrainian drone strike in the border region of Belgorod, local officials said.

Following the overnight attacks, Romania's Defence Ministry said Saturday that drone fragments were found in a residential area of the southeastern city of Galati, near the NATO member's border with Ukraine. No casualties were reported.

Romania has confirmed drone fragments on its territory on multiple occasions.

The overnight attacks followed a prisoner swap Friday, in which Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 service members.

Periodic prisoner exchanges have been one of the few positive outcomes of otherwise fruitless monthslong U.S.-brokered negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks have delivered no progress on key issues preventing an end to Russia's invasion of its neighbour, now in its fifth year.

While meeting with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is open to continuing peace talks with Russia in Azerbaijan.

"We have already held such talks — in Turkey and with our American partners in Switzerland," he said. "We are also ready for upcoming negotiations in Azerbaijan, if Russia is ready for diplomacy."

Zelenskyy also signed deals on security and energy co-operation with Aliyev in Baku, he said, as Kyiv seeks to leverage its experience in defending its airspace from Russia.

Following the latest wave of conflict in the Middle East that began with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran in late February, multiple nations have sought Ukraine's assistance and expertise in downing Iran's long-range drones.

Zelenskyy said the countries had signed an agreement relating to military-industrial co-operation.

Aliyev said military-industrial partnerships between the two countries had "wide-ranging perspectives" and that the two leaders had discussed joint defence production. He did not specify that he had signed any deals.

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