Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) – Russian forces launched a huge drone attack on the Ukrainian city in the south -east of Dnipro, killing three people, including a child and injuring dozens, officials announced on Thursday.
The strike on Wednesday evening was the last A series of Russian attacks who have caused civilian victims and intensify in recent weeks, when the United States continues efforts to negotiate a ceasefire Between Moscow and Kyiv.
Thirty people, including five, were injured in the attack, said Serhii Lysak, head of the regional administration of Dnipropetrovsk.
Local authorities have declared that drones have damaged civil infrastructure, including an educational establishment, a dormitory, a gymnasium and several residential buildings. The emergency services said that strikes had triggered several fires across the city.
In response to the attack on the Dnipro, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the allies to support their country with air defense weapons.
“Each defense package of Partners for Ukraine Now, each form of support from the world for our resilience, literally protects lives,” wrote Zelenskyy on the telegram email service on Thursday. “Russia uses every day and every night to kill.”
Meanwhile, a The Ukrainian delegation was in Paris for meetings With representatives of countries of the so-called “Coalition of the Will”, notably France, Germany and the United Kingdom, said Andrii Yermak, head of the presidential office.
Multinational force should be a long-term security guarantee to dissuade Russian future assaults once the cease-fire in place.
The delegation also includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha and the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov. Yermak said talks with American representatives were also planned.
“We are working on important aspects for the security of Ukraine and all of Europe,” wrote Yermak on Telegram.
Ukraine and the United States continue to work on an agreement on minerals for a long time and Zelenskyy said Thursday that an intention protocol – and not the full agreement – could be signed online later in the day as the first stage, granting access to the United States to the vast mineral resources of Ukraine.
“A few days ago, the American team proposed to return to a previous step – a protocol of intention – while lawyers continue to work on the full whole,” Zelenskyy said in a briefing in Kyiv. “I think this memorandum is important. This is the first step. ”
The framework of the mineral agreement had stopped the following February A controversial oval office meeting Between US President Donald Trump, US vice-president JD Vance and Zelenskyy. Negotiations have since taken up a revised framework.
Trump, speaking to journalists During a White House meeting with the Italian Prime Minister On Thursday, confirmed that there was an agreement.
“We have a mineral agreement,” he said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who was also in Reunion, said they “still worked on the details” of the signing, but said it could be done “around April 25”.
He also said that the agreement was “largely what we agreed previously”.
A previous version of the framework agreement, obtained by the Associated Press, described the plans for an investment fund jointly and managed between the United States and Ukraine, intended to support the reconstruction of the Ukrainian economy torn by the war.
But while Kyiv works to deepen links with the Western allies, he expressed his concerns concerning alleged military cooperation between Russia and China. Zelenskyy said kyiv had received information confirming that China provides weapons to Russia, including barrel powder and artillery.
He told the press conference that Ukrainian security and intelligence agencies report that some Chinese representatives are involved in the production of weapons in Russian territory.
“We are ready to talk about it in detail,” said Zelenskyy, adding that Ukraine plans to share the documentation to support complaints next week. “We see cooperation between these two countries in this area, and we must recognize that this happens.”
The Associated Press could not confirm Zelenskyy’s declaration.
China has provided strong diplomatic support For Russia since he launched his large -scale invasion of the Ukraine neighbor in February 2022. Beijing also offered an economic rescue in Moscow by energy and consumer goods.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its air defense systems killed 71 Ukrainian drones in six regions at night. Among these, 49 drones were intercepted in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, he said. The Kyiv forces seized a band of land in the region during a surprise incursion in August 2024.
Additional drones have been killed in the regions of Bryansk, Vladimir, Oryol, Ryazan and Tula, said the ministry.
And in Ukraine, Russia launched five missiles as well as 75 typing drones overnight, Air Force announced on Thursday. Air defense forces destroyed 25 drones, while 30 others were blocked. ___
The writer Associated Press, Chris Megerian, contributed from Washington.
Follow the coverage of war by the AP in Ukraine in https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
