Five people killed in Russian attack in Ukraine as peace talks stall amid Middle East conflict | World News

At least five people were killed in a Russian attack in Ukraine, and 18 others were injured, officials said.

Four of the deaths occurred in the Kyiv region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia targeted energy infrastructure with approximately 430 drones and 68 missiles.

Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the local regional administration, said 15 people were injured, three of whom were in critical condition.

The Russian Defense Ministry said the nighttime strikes targeted energy and industrial facilities serving Ukraine’s armed forces, as well as military airfields.

Another person was killed, and three others injured, when a Russian-guided bomb hit a residential area in the town of Zaporizhzhia, authorities said.

This happened when peace negotiations between Russia and Russia were mediated by the US Ukraine postponed, because Washington focuses on its military action in Iran.

Although Moscow condemned the US-Israel attack on Iran, it did not provide military support to its long-standing ally – and take advantage of the conflict.

Russia has taken advantage of surging global energy prices and may hope that a war in the Middle East will divert Ukraine’s attention and force its NATO allies to reduce military support for Kyiv.

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Mr. Zelensky said in a social media post on Saturday that “Russia will try to exploit the war in the Middle East to cause greater destruction in Europe, in Ukraine”.

“We must be fully aware of the true level of threats and prepare to face them, namely: in Europe, we need to develop the production of air defense missiles – especially those capable of countering ballistic threats – as well as all other systems necessary to truly protect life,” he wrote.