Russian drone strike kills 3 in Zaporizhzhia as peace talks loom
Russian drone strike kills 3 in Zaporizhzhia as peace talks loom
Three people killed in a Zaporizhzhia drone attack as Ukraine braces for new U.S.-led peace talks, with officials warning of possible further strikes amid ongoing fighting.
A Russian drone attack killed three people in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region overnight, authorities said, as Kyiv warned Moscow is preparing for another large-scale barrage even as U.S.-brokered peace talks edging closer at the weekend approach. The strike touched off a major fire at an apartment building, with emergency crews working through the night to contain the blaze and prevent further casualties. In a separate incident, two people were injured in the central Dnipropetrovsk region when fires sparked by the attack spread to nearby structures.
Zelenskyy, speaking to reporters and in public remarks, said Ukrainian intelligence assessments indicate Russia is mobilizing forces for a major aerial assault, building on a pattern of past strikes that have targeted civilians and critical infrastructure alike. He warned that such moves threaten any progress in diplomacy and stressed that talks are no substitute for resilience on the ground.
The broader context remains tense: negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, described as constructive by some diplomats earlier in the week, are poised to resume on Sunday amid doubts about Moscow's commitment to a settlement. EU foreign ministers pressed Moscow to use the talks to press for concessions, while Kyiv stressed that any agreement must address security guarantees and the withdrawal of forces from occupied areas.
Analysts say the current phase of fighting underscores the difficulty of translating dialogue into immediate de-escalation, especially as both sides accumulate capabilities and strain civilian support networks. International observers continue to urge restraint and insist that civilians, including those in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk, should be shielded from further harm while diplomacy runs its course.
Despite the bombardment, Ukrainian authorities emphasized the resilience of local communities and the rapid response by fire and rescue services, noting that civil defense measures and early warnings remain crucial as the conflict enters another complex chapter around the peace process.
