Russia launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Monday, officials said, killing seven people, wounding 21 and disrupting electricity and heating supplies as Ukraine rushed to finalize a peace deal backed by the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces had launched more than 460 drones and 22 missiles, their second major attack on Kiev this month. The air force said it had shot down most of the drones and about half of the missiles.
"The primary targets were the energy sector and everything that enables normal life," Zelensky said in a post on the Telegram app.
While Russia attacked Kiev in several waves, diplomatic negotiations to end the war gained some momentum.
Ukrainian, European and US officials have held several rounds of talks in recent days, and Ukraine on Tuesday signaled support for a framework for a peace agreement, stressing that sensitive issues need to be resolved.
Zelensky calls for air defense and weapons
"The most important thing now is for all partners to move together towards diplomacy, joint efforts. Pressure on Russia must yield results," Zelensky said, calling for the continued supply of weapons and air defense to Kiev.
Zelensky also announced that four Russian drones had flown over Moldovan territory and the territory of NATO member Romania.
Romania said it had scrambled fighter jets to intercept drones that violated its airspace near the border with Ukraine.
Romania shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine and has had multiple incidents in which drones violated its airspace or fragments fell on its territory since Russia began attacking Ukrainian ports on the Danube.
Disrupted electricity and heating supply
Ukraine's Energy Ministry said Russian attacks disrupted electricity supplies to more than 102.000 people in five regions of Ukraine.
Timur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, said damage was registered at 13 locations across Kiev. Residential and commercial buildings, as well as infrastructure, were damaged.
Kiev city authorities also said that heating was being restricted in several city districts. The weather was unusually warm, with temperatures around eight degrees Celsius.
"Russians are deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure and households. Cynical terror," Tkachenko wrote on Telegram.
Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, despite killing thousands since the invasion began in 2022. It says civilian infrastructure such as energy systems are legitimate targets in order to weaken Ukraine's ability to fight.
Ukrainian officials also said port and energy infrastructure were damaged in the Black Sea port of Odessa, where six people were injured.
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