Ukraine says six killed in massive Russian daytime attacks

Russia unleashed nearly 500 missiles and drones on Ukraine in a wave of attacks that officials said killed at least six people, as Moscow pressed ahead with a growing pattern of daytime strikes.

Since the start of its invasion, Russia has pounded Ukraine from the air, with most barrages typically launched after dark. In recent weeks, however, those assaults have increasingly come in daylight hours.

“Terrorist Russia strikes in broad daylight deliberately – to maximise civilian casualties and damage,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said, adding that Moscow fired almost 500 drones and missiles.

Photographs released by Ukraine’s emergency services showed residential buildings torn apart, including a block of flats with sections ripped open and debris scattered across the street below.

“Unfortunately, animals were also affected by the attack – approximately 20 animals died due to damage to a veterinary clinic,” Mr Kalashnyk added.

In Kyiv, some residents took cover in metro stations and basements, AFP reporters said. But even as air raid sirens blared, many others remained in cafes, appearing unfazed by the bombardment.

In the Kyiv region, “a drone struck a residential building in Obukhiv, and another attack occurred between a kindergarten and a school in Vyshneve, damaging homes,” Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.

Local officials said three people were killed in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, while one person died in the northwestern Zhytomyr region and another in northeastern Kharkiv.

The strikes also triggered emergency power outages in several regions, grid operator Ukrenergo said.

“This is how Moscow responds to Ukraine’s Easter ceasefire proposals – with brutal attacks,” Mr Sybiga said.

People shelter in a metro station during an air raid alert in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was prepared for a truce over the Easter holidays, though the Kremlin said it had not received any such proposals.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of dragging out the war in an effort to seize more land, and says Moscow has shown no real interest in peace.

US-mediated talks between the two sides have meanwhile stalled, disrupted by the war in the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Zelensky said he had invited an American delegation to Ukraine in an attempt to restart negotiations with Moscow.

“The delegation will do everything possible in the current conditions – during the war with Iran – to come to Kyiv,” Mr Zelensky said.

“The American group can come to us and, after us, go to Moscow. If it does not work out with three parties, let’s do it this way,” he added.

Ukrainian rescuers work at a damaged residential building following a drone attack in Kharkiv

Envoys for US President Donald Trump have been shuttling between Ukrainian and Russian representatives in a three-way diplomatic push aimed at ending the four-year war.

Those efforts, however, have lost momentum as Washington has focused on the aerial campaign against Iran that it launched in late February.

Against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, Kyiv has tried to draw on its experience countering Russian drones, which resemble those Iran has used in retaliatory strikes across Gulf nations.

Last week, Mr Zelensky travelled to several Middle Eastern countries, where he signed defence agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

He also said Kyiv could help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, after threats of closure by Iran shook the global economy.

Mr Zelensky did not spell out how Ukraine might assist, but pointed to Kyiv’s experience restoring shipping routes through the Black Sea after Russia blocked passage there at the outset of its invasion.