Drone barrage hits Ukraine hours after Istanbul talks – President Zelenskyy

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported a large-scale overnight assault by Russia on multiple Ukrainian regions, involving 103 attack drones—mostly Iranian-made Shaheds—and four missiles.

The strikes came just hours after renewed diplomatic talks were held in Istanbul, during which, according to Zelenskyy, Ukraine once again proposed a complete and immediate ceasefire, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

In a statement shared on social media, President Zelenskyy said the Russian barrage targeted residential and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, including Odesa, Cherkasy, the Kharkiv region, Zaporizhzhia, and the regions of Donetsk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv. The city of Kharkiv suffered the deadliest blow, where three people were confirmed killed.

“Yesterday, at a meeting in Istanbul, the Russian side was again offered to immediately and completely cease fire. In response, Russian drones hit residential buildings and ‘Pryvoz’ in Odesa, high-rise buildings in Cherkasy, energy infrastructure in Kharkiv region, a university gym in Zaporizhzhia, as well as Donetsk, Sumy, and Mykolaiv regions. In total, there were 103 attack drones, most of which were ‘Shaheds’, and four missiles. And every night Russia chooses cities and communities that become targets for strikes,” Zelenskyy wrote.

The President added that, in addition to the three fatalities in the Kharkiv region, over ten individuals sustained injuries, including a nine-year-old child in Cherkasy.

“Unfortunately, three people died in Kharkiv region. My condolences to all relatives and friends. More than ten people were injured, including a nine-year-old child in Cherkasy,” he stated.

Zelenskyy used the occasion to reiterate his call for tougher international action against Moscow, accusing Russia of continuing its campaign of terror and deliberately undermining diplomatic efforts.

“Russia does not stop terror, blocks diplomacy, and that is why it deserves full-scale sanctions responses and our strikes on its logistics, on its military bases, on its military production,” the president declared.

By Vafa Guliyeva