Two killed in Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s Kyiv region

Ukraine also sends volley of drones into Russia, with air defences intercepting attacks on 13 regions, including Moscow.

At least three people have been killed in a Russian drone attack near Ukraine’s capital.

The interior ministry said on Friday that drone debris killed two men and a woman in the overnight attack on the central Kyiv region, damaging a residential apartment building, eight private houses, commercial buildings, and several private cars.

The attack came as Russian authorities said the country’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 121 drones launched by Ukraine overnight. The drones were downed over 13 Russian regions, including seven over Moscow and the nearby region, the defence ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drones had been intercepted at several locations around the capital.

Russian news agencies quoted the federal aviation agency as saying two Moscow airports – Vnukovo and Domodedovo – were handling flights after suspending operations. Six flights were redirected to other airports.

Other regions targeted by the attacks included Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod and the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula, according to the defence ministry.

The governors of the Ryazan and Tula regions, both located south of Moscow, also reported attacks.

US piles on pressure

Moscow and Kyiv are vying for advantage ahead of possible negotiations in the early days of US President Donald Trump‘s administration.

Before his inauguration, Trump promised to end the Ukraine war immediately upon taking office, raising expectations he would leverage aid to force Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, which invaded in February 2022.

But this week he stepped up pressure on Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to make a deal, threatening tougher economic measures if Moscow does not agree to end the nearly three-year-old war.

During an interview on Thursday, Trump said: “If they don’t settle this war soon, like almost immediately, I’m going to put massive tariffs on Russia, and massive taxes, and also big sanctions.”