The attack began in midmorning and lasted for hours in the capital of Kyiv, the western city of Lviv near Poland, and the port of Odesa on the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Kremlin war chiefs launch horror drone onslaught night against Ukrainian civilians as Kyiv orders strike-back of hundreds of weapons in revenge, setting off blazes across Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says six people have been killed in a rare daytime attack on Ukraine, with Russia said to be plotting further strikes. In response, Poland scrambled jets to secure its own airspace.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Blasts across Kyiv as Putin launches deadly assault involving over 800 drones - Ballistic missiles and drones headed for Kyiv as Zelensky warns Kremlin trying ‘overload’ def

Russia launched 800 drones across Ukraine in a massive daytime assault, killing civilians and straining air defences despite recent claims by Putin and Trump that peace talks may advance.

The Russian leader addressed the potential for talks with the European Union after rounds of U.S.-led peace talks that have so far failed to end the conflict.

Supporters of a bill to aid Ukraine and sanction Russia reached a critical threshold on Wednesday that allows them to bypass Republican leadership and force a vote on the House floor in the coming weeks.

Tensions are high as Russia prepares to celebrate its most important secular holiday. Fears about security amid the war with Ukraine and signs of domestic discontent are casting a shadow over annual celebrations in Moscow’s Red Square.