At least four people have been killed, including a child, in a fresh wave of drone attacks across Russia and Ukraine, as both sides continue to escalate their long-range strikes.
A 14-year-old boy died when a Russian drone struck a residential building in central Kyiv on Thursday night. Ukrainian officials also confirmed one person was killed in a separate attack in the southern Odesa region. The strike on the 16-storey complex in the Pechersk district injured at least seven people.
What happened in Kyiv?
Reuters reported explosions heard in the centre of Kyiv on Thursday night. In recent weeks, Russia has waged ongoing attacks on the capital and surrounding areas, with near-constant barrages of its faster, high-flying drones, which are harder to intercept.
Emergency services said one person was injured in the overnight attacks on the capital, separate to the strike on the high-rise building. The strikes also caused fires in non-residential buildings in two city districts.
Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians in the war, which began with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
On Friday, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had carried out overnight drone strikes on Ukrainian defence industry facilities, logistics centres and vessels used by Ukraine's armed forces.
Separately, Odesa region Governor Oleh Kiper said one person was killed and another injured in a series of “massive” Russian strikes on a residential area and logistics premises of a postal operator.
Ukraine strikes inside Russia
Two people were killed in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia overnight, which also struck an oil refinery and a passenger train, according to Russian officials.
Russia's Defence Ministry said air defence units had destroyed 592 drones overnight.
One civilian was killed and another wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a truck in Russia's Belgorod region, local officials said.
In the Perm region, which hosts a major oil refinery, Governor Dmitry Makhonin said one man had been killed during a massive drone attack.
Separately, Yury Slyusar, the governor of the southern Rostov region, said about 50 drones had been destroyed above his region overnight. Mr Slyusar said a drone attack had damaged the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery and suspended operations temporarily, but no casualties were reported.
Eight people were also injured in a drone attack on the Ulyanovsk region, Governor Alexei Russkikh said. Mr Russkikh said industrial and civilian infrastructure had been damaged in the region, which hosts a major electronics plant.
Russia's state railway operator said an electric locomotive and the first carriage of a passenger train travelling from Moscow to Tolyatti had been damaged. The operator described the strike as external interference on a section of railway in the Samara region, injuring the train driver and forcing the suspension of rail traffic on the line.
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said air-defence forces destroyed 88 drones overnight over the regional capital and at least six surrounding districts. Four people were injured in Voronezh, alongside damage to residential buildings, vehicles and industrial facilities, Mr Gusev said.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Why are drone attacks intensifying?
The exchanges come as both sides seek to disrupt each other's logistics, energy infrastructure and military capabilities. Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones to strike deep inside Russian territory, while Russia continues to target Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
The ongoing attacks highlight the persistent volatility of the conflict, now in its fourth year, with no diplomatic resolution in sight. Australia continues to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, consistent with its broader Indo-Pacific security posture.