zelensky meets tom cruise

'You're good-looking!' Ukraine's president meets with Tom Cruise

Ukraine's president briefly got an unlikely co-star—Tom Cruise.

KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine ’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has found himself center stage since the controversy broke out over his phone call with President Donald Trump , but on Tuesday he briefly got an unlikely co-star—Tom Cruise.

The star of the "Top Gun" and "Mission Impossible" movies, met with Zelenskiy on Monday while on a trip to Ukraine to scout possible locations for an upcoming film, according to Zelenskiy’s office.

(MORE: What to know about Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the comedian-turned president of Ukraine)

Zelenskiy hosted Cruise at his presidential headquarters in Kyiv late Monday night.

“You’re good-looking!” Zelenskiy told Cruise as he walked in, according to video excepts released by his office on Tuesday. The actor laughed and replied, “It pays the bills.”

Zelenskiy, an actor himself who played the president in a TV show before being elected the real thing in April , joked with Cruise about how exhausting it is being president and talked about steps his government was taking to attract foreign film producers.

He also spoke about efforts to end the five-year war in Ukraine’s east.

The excerpts did not make any mention of whether the two discussed the current controversy that Zelenskiy has found himself embroiled in the United States that has seen Democrats open an impeachment inquiry into Trump over allegations from a whistleblower that Trump sought to pressure Zelenskiy into investigating his potential Democratic presidential rival in 2020, Joe Biden.

Zelenskiy has largely tried to avoid making public statements on the scandal since it erupted two weeks ago. While in New York at the United Nations General Assembly last week, he refused interviews and mostly tried to dodge reporters.

(MORE: Whistleblower feared Trump’s call with Ukraine constituted 'flagrant' abuse of power, document says)

The complaint submitted by a whistle-blower inside the government alleged Trump may have tried to use his office to coerce Zelenskiy into investigating Biden during a call on July 25. The complaint alleges Trump may have sought to create leverage by withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Ukraine intended to help it defend itself against Russia.

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A transcript of the call which the White House released after the complaint’s existence became public, showed Trump asking Zelenskiy to do “us a favor” and work with his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr to investigate Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Trump and his allies have accused Biden of abusing his power as vice president by pushing Ukraine’s government to fire its prosecutor general in 2015, claiming that the move was meant to shield his son, Hunter Biden, from investigation.

In reality, no evidence has emerged to support that allegation and in fact the firing of the prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, was also demanded at the time by the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, as well as anti-corruption activists in Ukraine. One of the reasons given for demanding Shokin's removal at the time was actually his office's failure to investigate the energy company, Burisma, where Hunter Biden was a board member and which has become the focus of Trump’s claims.

A senior former Ukrainian law enforcement official last week told ABC News, the allegations against Biden lacked a real basis and had been developed by Ukraine’s former prosecutor general, Yuri Lutsenko, in an attempt to protect his position before he was fired this summer . Lutsenko himself this week told multiple news media that Hunter Biden did not violate any Ukrainian laws.

(MORE: Ukraine's 2014 revolution to Trump's push for a Ukrainian probe of Biden: A timeline)

Zelenskiy has denied feeling any pressure from Trump during the call, telling a press conference in New York last week, “We had a good phone call … It was normal. You read it. Nobody pushed me.”

Zelenskiy on Monday told reporters that he would have no role in opening any investigation into Biden or his son.

“We are open, we are ready to investigate,” he said, but “it has nothing to do with me. Our independent law enforcement agencies are ready to investigate any case in which the law was broken.”

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Tom Cruise Meets Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky Amid Whistleblower Scandal

General Assignment Reporter, HuffPost

Tom Cruise met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev this week to discuss business ― no, not that business.

While Zelensky finds himself a central character in the whistleblower scandal that has led to an impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump , he was just a gushing fan during his chat on Monday with the “Top Gun: Maverick” star. (Watch it above.)

“You’re good-looking! Like in a movie,” Zelensky said as they shook hands.

To which a laughing Cruise replied: “It pays the rent.”

Cruise is exploring possibilities to shoot a film in Ukraine and received an invitation from Zelensky to visit, according to a statement from the Ukrainian government. Deadline noted that the country has a new law offering financial incentives to foreign filmmakers.

Cruise could be heard saying “we’re looking” in the conversation, perhaps about a project in the Ukraine. A representative for Cruise couldn’t immediately be reached.

The Ukrainian leader also told Cruise about his experience as an actor and comedian before he became president, the government statement said.

Zelensky is the foreign leader Trump allegedly pushed to dig up dirt on political rival Joe Biden and son Hunter in a July phone call that was red flagged by a whistleblower. The House has since launched an impeachment inquiry.

Zelensky, for his part, has denied that he felt pressured by Trump, who had suspended American military aid before the call.

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‘You’re good-looking!’: Tom Cruise meets Ukrainian president amid impeachment crisis

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky knows a thing or two about the silver screen.

Before the political newcomer won Ukraine’s presidential election in a landslide in April, he was an actor — appearing in a number of films and best known for playing a president in the comedy TV show “Servant of the People.”

Now, as Ukraine’s real-life president, he has found himself embroiled in an international scandal, with a phone call he had with President Trump in July at the center of an impeachment inquiry in Washington.

With his unusual background, Zelensky has more experience talking to actors than world leaders. And on Monday evening, after days of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York, he seemed at ease as he welcomed American movie star Tom Cruise to Kiev.

In a statement, the presidential office said Cruise visited Ukraine at Zelensky’s invitation.

“You’re good-looking ... like in a movie,” Zelensky, a professional comedian, told Cruise, as the room burst into laughter.

“It pays the rent,” Cruise joked back.

Zelensky’s office released clips of their exchange, in which Cruise can be heard saying, “We’re looking, we’re seeing, we’re very excited about it … very excited,” and later mentioning that he took note of Ukraine’s cobblestone streets.

Little context for their comments is available in the released clips, but Zelensky can also be heard referencing the Minsk process, an agreement that was intended to bring about a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting with Ukrainian troops since 2014.

The clips don’t include any mention of Zelensky’s role in the ongoing political crisis in Washington. Last week, the White House released a rough transcript of the July call between Trump and Zelensky, in which Trump asks the Ukrainian leader for a “favor”: to help with an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden, one of Trump’s top political rivals.

But at one point in his meeting with Cruise, Zelensky seems to mention how exhausted he is.

“I get up and I’m tired,” Zelensky tells Cruise with a laugh.

His call with Trump has Washington in turmoil. Who is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky?

Barr personally asked foreign officials to aid inquiry into CIA, FBI activities in 2016

Trump amps up attacks on whistleblower as some Republicans call for more strategic response to impeachment

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Tom Cruise Picked a Hell of a Week to Meet the President of Ukraine

By Laura Bradley

In 2005 Tom Cruise jumped all over Oprah Winfrey ’s couch—and in doing so prompted a nation to reassess the being that is Tom Cruise. Who is he, really? we all wondered, and what other feats of weirdness is he capable of? But even then, it would have been hard to believe the following sentence: “Tom Cruise Meets Ukrainian President to Talk New Film.”

No, really! In fact, that’s the very headline the Hollywood Reporter used to reveal that—yes, we’ll repeat that one more time—Tom Cruise recently met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, reportedly to discuss locations for an upcoming film project. This, just days after Congress launched impeachment proceedings due to a phone call in which Donald Trump pressured Zelensky to dig up compromising information on Joe Biden.

Per THR, the Ukrainian president’s press surrogates said in a statement that “Cruise told Zelensky that he was interested in Ukrainian locations for the filming of one of his new film projects,” but did not reveal identifying details about the project beyond that. ( THR does report, however, that there was some speculation that Cruise was filming the latest Mission: Impossible film in the former Soviet country.) Ukrainian representatives added that Cruise and Zelensky discussed Ukraine’s new tax-rebate system for film producers, and THR reports that in footage of the meeting, Zelensky can be seen calling Cruise “good looking.” The actor’s response? “It pays the rent.”

How does one begin to unpack all of this? The meeting itself is probably not that unusual—especially since Zelensky himself, who was elected earlier this year, is a former actor and comedian. But that doesn’t negate the sheer strangeness of today’s news cycle, or Tom Cruise’s unlikely role in all of it. What does it all mean ? How long until Vladimir Putin becomes directly involved in all of this? In fact, how is he not already involved? Is the random fact that Tom Cruise became the first American movie star to join the Russian social network Vkontakte back in 2013 at all relevant here? Probably not, but we’ll report back right after we buy some more red yarn and pushpins .

— Apple learns from one of Netflix’s biggest mistakes — What the real-life inspiration for Hustlers thinks of J. Lo’s performance — Remembering Shawshank Redemption, 25 years after its debut — A sprinkle of Meghan magic in Cape Town — Impeachment fervor is causing a ruckus at Fox News — From the Archive: The drama behind Rebel Without a Cause and a young star’s death

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Tom Cruise meets with Ukraine president at center of Trump impeachment inquiry: 'You're good-looking!'

A new power player has been swept up in Trump ’s impeachment inquiry: Tom Cruise .

While U.S. politicians debate over the implications of Trump’s July 25 phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky — whom he’s accused of pressuring to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter — the Ukrainian leader was busy bonding with a certain Mission: Impossible star on Monday. Cruise traveled to Kiev to scout filming locations, according to the Associated Press .

Zelensky, himself a former actor and comedian, welcomed Cruise to his Kiev office on Sept. 30, greeting him heartily and pronouncing, “You’re good-looking! Like in a movie.”

Video released from Zelensky’s office shows Cruise laughing and quipping, “it pays the rent.”

The men also spoke about Los Angeles and locations in Ukraine but didn’t touch on the impeachment inquiry in the videos.

Incidentally, Cruise has an interesting link with Kiev. His very first scene , as IMF agent Ethan Hunt in the first Mission: Impossible film is set in the city.

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Ukrainian president meets Tom Cruise, admits he's 'goodlooking'

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Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines for Oct. 1 are here. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy may be at the center of a United States impeachment scandal , but that doesn't mean he going to turn down a chance to meet one of the biggest actors in the world.

On Monday, he met with Tom Cruise , 57, who is in the Eastern European country to do some location-scouting for a  potential movie .

Zelenskiy tapped his roots as a TV and film comedian when hosting Cruise in the Ukrainian presidential headquarters.

TOM CRUISE ANNOUNCES TWO NEW 'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE' FILMS IN THE WORKS

As Cruise walked in, Zelenskiy told Cruise, "You're goodlooking!," according to video excerpts released Tuesday by his office. The Hollywood star laughed and said, "It pays the bills."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and American actor, film director and producer Tom Cruise talk to each other during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, late Monday. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Zelenskiy joked about how exhausting it is to be president and mentioned the stalled peace process for conflict-ravaged eastern Ukraine.

The video excerpts included no mention of President Donald Trump or the U.S. impeachment inquiry in which Ukraine plays a starring role.

TOM CRUISE'S 'TOP GUN: MAVERICK' MOVIE TRAILER DROPS: 4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SEQUEL

Zelenskiy made headlines after a whistleblower revealed the Ukranian president's  July 25 phone call with Trump during which he asked the Ukrainian leader to "look into" former vice president and current 2020 presidential hopeful Joe Biden .

The Ukrainian president's office also noted that "[Zelenskiy] had recently passed a law on compensation for foreign filmmakers in Ukraine." It will promote active development of the film industry and give a boost to international co-production.

CLICK TO VISIT THE ALL-NEW FOXBUSINESS.COM

"The Head of State expressed conviction that this law would make Ukraine attractive for investment by powerful filmmakers," a statement revealed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Tom Cruise meets Ukraine's president caught in U.S. impeachment scandal

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy may be a central character in the U.S. impeachment scandal , but this week the former comedian was back in his comfort zone as he met actor Tom Cruise.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the president's press office said Cruise, who arrived in Kyiv on Zelenskiy's invitation, was interested in filming one of his new movies in the country.

Zelenskiy was a successful media producer, comedian and actor before he ventured into politics. He has also previously played Ukrainian president on television.

At the meeting Monday, the Ukrainian leader shook Cruise's hand, pointing out that he was "good-looking," to which Cruise replied, "It pays the rent."

“The President of Ukraine told the guest about his own experience in cinema,” his office added.

Zelenskiy also pointed out that a recently passed law on subsidies for foreign filmmakers in Ukraine is meant to attract investment in the country’s economy.

“I am happy that Ukraine is starting to attract world-class stars," the president said on his Facebook page next to a photo with a smiling Cruise.

A transcript of Zelenskiy’s July phone call with President Donald Trump released last week suggested the U.S. president tried to seek the Ukrainian leader’s help to investigate a political rival, leading to the impeachment inquiry .

Since his election, Zelenskiy has been meeting with the world's political leaders, trying to build goodwill and support for his country, which is still grappling with the war in the east and rampant corruption.

He met with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week amidst controversy surrounding their phone call .

Zelenskiy has denied being pressured by Trump, reiterating Monday that he will not “follow any commands."

His meeting with Cruise is not the first time that Zelenskiy entertained Hollywood stars.

The president has previously shared photos of his meetings with American actors Mila Kunis, who hails from Ukraine, and her husband Ashton Kutcher, as well as actress Robin Wright and Chernobyl TV series producer Craig Mazin.

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

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Tom Cruise Picked a Wild Time to Meet the Ukrainian President

The Ukrainian president is really breaking into the U.S. news cycle a lot these days. First, he’s on the receiving end of a call from Donald Trump about maybe trading a foreign investigation into presidential candidate Joe Biden for American military support, and now he’s meeting with one of our biggest stars. Tom Cruise is reportedly looking to make a movie in Ukraine, and the country’s head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, sent him an official invitation to visit his office in Kiev. Cruise accepted, and so the former actor and comedian ( yes, we’re talking about Zelensky ) met with the current global-screen superstar and told him he’s very handsome. “The president of Ukraine told the guest about his own experience in cinema,” Zelensky’s office said. The country has started courting business from foreign filmmakers by offering production subsidies, and a Cruise-size production seems like it would be a welcome presence in that regard.

Zelensky also recently met with Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis (who was born in the USSR-incorporated Ukraine), but that was more about politics and the new president rooting out government corruption. We don’t know Cruise’s thoughts on the current impeachment inquiry in the U.S. House of Representatives, but Kutcher, for one, seems quite unhappy with American politics. Wild times, indeed.

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Tom Cruise meets Ukraine President Zelensky in Keiv

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Tom Cruise to Kiev to discuss locations for one of the Hollywood superstar's new film projects, the presidency said Tuesday.

Zelensky, who was a popular comedian until his shock presidential election win this spring, told the 57-year-old actor about his own experiences in cinema, the press service said. 

It was not revealed whether the pair discussed the president's current role in a real-life drama: the scandal that has launched impeachment proceedings against US leader Donald Trump.

Photos showed the Ukrainian president beaming as he stood by the casually dressed blockbuster star in an official meeting room on Monday.

"During the meeting, Tom Cruise informed Volodymyr Zelensky that he was interested in Ukrainian locations for the shooting of one of his new film projects," the presidency said.

Earlier Cruise was spotted on the Soviet-era Kiev subway.

Some commentators criticised Zelensky for meeting the actor rather than focusing on his own mission impossible: tackling corruption and ending the war with Russia-backed separatists in the country's east.

Last month, the 41-year-old leader met Hollywood actors Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Robin Wright at an event in Kiev.

Others joked about the real reason for Cruise's visit.

"Tom Cruise came here to prepare for the role of Volodymyr Zelensky in a new movie about Trump's impeachment," blogger Petro Terentiev wrote on his Facebook page.

Trump is accused of pressuring Zelensky on July 25 to supply dirt on former US vice president Joe Biden, the favorite to represent Democrats against Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy calls Tom Cruise 'good looking' as they meet to talk about filming locations

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Tom Cruise meets Ukraine’s president in Kiev

PM Shehbaz Sharif to travel to Saudi Arabia tomorrow

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KIEV: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Tom Cruise to Kiev to discuss locations for one of the Hollywood superstar’s new film projects, the presidency said Tuesday.

Zelensky, who was a popular comedian until his shock presidential election win this spring, told the 57-year-old actor about his own experiences in cinema, the press service said.

It was not revealed whether the pair discussed the president’s current role in a real-life drama: the scandal that has launched impeachment proceedings against US leader Donald Trump.

Photos showed the Ukrainian president beaming as he stood by the casually dressed blockbuster star in an official meeting room on Monday.

“During the meeting, Tom Cruise informed Volodymyr Zelensky that he was interested in Ukrainian locations for the shooting of one of his new film projects,” the presidency said.

Earlier Cruise was spotted on the Soviet-era Kiev subway.

Some commentators criticised Zelensky for meeting the actor rather than focusing on his own mission impossible: tackling corruption and ending the war with Russia-backed separatists in the country’s east.

Last month, the 41-year-old leader met Hollywood actors Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher and Robin Wright at an event in Kiev.

Others joked about the real reason for Cruise’s visit.

“Tom Cruise came here to prepare for the role of Volodymyr Zelensky in a new movie about Trump’s impeachment,” blogger Petro Terentiev wrote on his Facebook page.

Trump is accused of pressuring Zelensky on July 25 to supply dirt on former US vice president Joe Biden, the favorite to represent Democrats against Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

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Russia-Ukraine war – live: Rescuers killed in Kharkiv strikes as Nato allies urged to bring back conscription

LIVE – Updated at 14:24

At least four people were killed when Russia launched a deadly “double tap” drone strike on the northeast Ukrainian region of Kharkiv , officials say.

Russia fired 15 drones across the entire region, according to governor Oleh Synehubov, but most of the damage was to the region’s namesake city. Images showed a large hole torn into the side of a 14-storey building in the city.

At least three of those killed were employees of Ukraine ’s state emergency service who had rushed to the site of the first attack at the tower block, only to become victims of a second strike. At least a dozen people were injured overall.

It came as a key Nato ally suggested the UK should consider introducing conscription as a measure of protection against future war with Russia.

Asked by the BBC whether conscription was a good idea, the Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas said: “Of course every country decides for themselves, we are all democracies, but I recommend this in many aspects.” Estonia introduced military conscription in 1991, the year the Soviet Union fell.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed to The Independent that there was “absolutely no suggestion of a return to conscription”.

• Russian drone attack kills at least four in Ukraine's Kharkiv
• Moscow-Nato relations at direct confrontation level, Kremlin says

Russian defence minister warns French counterpart in rare call

• Nato weighs plan to provide long-term military help to Ukraine

Russia launches drone attack on Kharkiv that kills 4 people and wounds 12

Russian troops launched waves of Shahed drones against the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight, killing four people and wounding 12, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Thursday.

Russia attacked Ukraine’s second-biggest city with at least 15 drones, some of which were shot down by air defense.

Three rescuers were killed when Russia struck a multistory building damaged in an earlier strike. Six people were wounded at that location. Another 14-story building was hit by a drone, killing a 69-year-old woman.

Russia says backup power line to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has gone down

A backup power line supplying the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine has gone down, the Russian-controlled management of the plant said on Thursday.

Ukraine‘s state-run nuclear power company, Energoatom, said the main 750 kilovolt (kV) power line, recently restored by Ukrainian engineers, was still running.

The six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia plant, held by Russia and located close to the front line of the war in Ukraine, are not in operation but it relies on external power to keep its nuclear material cool and prevent a catastrophic accident.

The Russian management said on Telegram that the reasons for the outage, which had not caused any change in the radiation level, were being investigated.

It said the problem was with the 330 kV “Ferosplavnaya” power line. This is a backup which, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was restored in the middle of last month after an outage of more than three weeks.

The main 750 kV “Dniprovska” power line went down for almost five hours on 22 March, highlighting what the IAEA said were “ever present dangers to nuclear safety and security” from the Russia-Ukraine war.

At 75, is timid, hesitant Nato now showing its age?

On the alliance’s landmark anniversary, historian Sten Rynning says the future of European security may depend on whether it can convince three steadfastly neutral countries to sign up

Czechs to give tens of millions of euros for Ukraine ammunition plan, PM says

The Czech Republic will donate tens of millions of euros to an initiative it is leading to buy hundreds of thousands of artillery ammunition rounds for Ukraine, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.

Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the most pressing need for Ukraine is artillery ammunition as the sides use heavy cannon fire to hold largely static, entrenched positions along the 1,000-km (620-mile) front line.

The Czech-led donation effort has won over about 18 countries, with Germany pledging the highest contribution so far, 576 million euros for 180,000 artillery rounds.

Fiala said on CNN Prima News television on Wednesday night that the Czech contribution would be in the higher hundreds of millions of crowns, which equals low tens of millions of euros.

“This roughly corresponds to the share that a country of our size and prosperity should put in,” Fiala said.

The Czechs, through a team of government officials and private companies, have sought at least 800,000 large-calibre ammunition rounds from countries around the world, with first deliveries to Ukraine expected by June.

But Czech officials have said the number is not final, and there was more ammunition available globally if more funding is secured.

Zelensky deplores ‘despicable and cynical’ Kharkiv attack

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of committing a “despicable and cynical” attack on Kharkiv overnight, which killed at least four people and injured a dozen more.

Russia-Nato relations at level of direct confrontation, Kremlin says

Relations between Russia and Nato have slid to the level of direct confrontation as the US-led military bloc is already involved in the conflict in Ukraine and continues to expand towards Russia’s borders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

Zelensky finally calls for younger soldiers in bid to plug shortfall in troops

Ukraine has annnounced it will lower the military conscription age in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war.

The new mobilization law, from 27 to 25 , came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed it last year.

It was not immediately clear why Zelenskyy took so long to sign the measure into law. He didn’t make any public comment about it, and officials did not say how many new soldiers the country expected to gain or for which units.

Here are some of the latest photos from the Kharkiv attack

Below are some of the latest photos from the overnight Russian attack on Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine

Ukraine says 350,000 residents have lost power after strikes on Kharkiv

About 350,000 residents were cut off from power supply in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and the surrounding region after an overnight Russian drone attack on Thursday, the Energy Ministry said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has been attacking Ukraine‘s energy system with missiles and drones in recent weeks.

Russian drone attack kills at least four in Ukraine's Kharkiv, officials say

Russian drones hit high-rise apartment blocks and private homes in Kharkiv on Thursday, killing at least four people in Ukraine‘s second-largest city, officials said.

Kharkiv Regional Governor Oleh Synehubov put the death toll at four, including three rescue workers in a repeat strike at the site of one attack. Writing on the Telegram messaging app, he also said that 12 people were injured, with three in serious condition.

Russia used at least 15 drones in the Kharkiv attacks, Mr Synehubov wrote.

Ukraine‘s military shot down 11 Shahed drones out of 20 launched at the country overnight, the General Staff said.

Residential buildings, stores, a medical facility and cars were damaged in the attack, the Kharkiv prosecutor’s office said on Telegram.

Drones also hit the Zmiivska thermal power plant in the region, the governor said, keeping up pressure on an energy system that has come under repeated attack from Russian air strikes in recent weeks.

Pictures and videos from Kharkiv showed ladders from fire trucks operating under floodlights and extending to shattered apartments at the top of high-rise blocks.

Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne reported that one of the strikes caused serious damage to apartments on three floors of a 14-storey building. It said emergency crews had been unable to work for at least an hour for fear of further strikes.

An education facility, cultural centre and private residence in the Dnipropetrovsk region were also hit by drones, the region’s governor said, adding that no casualties were reported.

Ukraine plans to destroy Crimean bridge used by Russia by July

A senior Ukrainian military intelligence official has said Kyiv is aiming to destroy the Kerch bridge in Crimea, used as a lifeline by Russia to transport munitions and artillery for its invasion, “in the first half of 2024”.

Senior officials from Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence service have said they are eyeing a third blow to the bridge after two previous attempts caused significant damage, describing another operation as “inevitable”, reported The Guardian .

The 12-mile long bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it illegally annexed in 2014.

The bridge is the longest in Europe and a subject of considerable pride in Russia, while invoking disdain for Ukrainians who see this as a symbol of Russian control over their territory.

Seven children and families returned home

Seven more Ukrainian children and their families were returned home from Russian-occupied territories in Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts, ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has said, The Kyiv Independent reported.

At least 19,500 children have been confirmed as abducted by Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and fewer than 400 have been returned home, according to the Children of War database.

“Some of the families went through true horror under occupation and became the witnesses of Russians looting homes of the locals, forcing (Ukrainians) to take Russian passports, abusing Ukrainians, forcing children to learn by ‘Russia’s world’ canons,” Lubinets wrote on his Telegram channel.

Russia's security head says the US shares blame for deadly concert hall attack

The head of Russia’s national security council contended that the United States shares blame for the attack by gunmen on a Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people, even though a branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

Since the 22 March attack at the Crocus City Hall, the deadliest on Russian soil in two decades, Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly claimed, without presenting evidence, that it was organized by Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion for more than two years.

An affiliate of Isis claimed responsibility for the attack and Kyiv has consistently denied involvement.

France rejects Russian claims of possible dialogue on Ukraine

France did not show any readiness for dialogue on Ukraine during talks between the French and Russian defence ministers earlier yesterday, a French government source said.

“It is not true,” the source said after Russia’s defence ministry had made the claim in a statement.

The government source said the focus of the call, initiated by France, had been to discuss the heightened terrorism threat.

Russia’s security head says US shares blame for concert hall attack

Nato weighs a plan to provide long-term military help to ukraine.

Nato is debating a plan to provide more predictable military support to Ukraine in coming years as better armed Russian troops assert control on the battlefield, the organisation’s top civilian official said today.

“We strongly believe that support to Ukraine should be less dependent on short-term, voluntary offers and more dependent on long-term Nato commitments,” Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said before chairing a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Brussels.

“The reason why we do this is the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine. It is serious,” Mr Stoltenberg told reporters. “We see how Russia is pushing, and we see how they try to win this war by just waiting us out.”

The plan is to have Nato coordinate the work of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group — a forum of around 50 countries that has regularly gathered during the war to drum up weapons and ammunition for Ukraine — rather than the US European Command.

NATO weighs a plan to provide long-term military help to Ukraine as Russian troops assert control

Putin’s target is US presence in eastern Europe, says expert

The lowering of Ukraine’s conscription age is a signal that the country is facing up to the reality that it’s in a war of attrition and of competition for resources, said Orysia Lutsevych, head of the Ukraine forum and deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the Chatham House think tank in London.

Volodymyr Zelensky was hoping for a relatively quick end to the war, she said. But he realises that Putin “is not just fighting Ukraine. His main enemy is the United States and its presence in Eastern Europe.”

The initial enthusiasm for going out to fight against the Kremlin’s forces has waned, though public support for the war remains high.

Ukraine currently forbids men younger than 60 from traveling abroad. Many Ukrainian men are evading the draft by hiding at home or trying to bribe their way out of the battle. Commanders say they don’t have enough soldiers to launch offensives, and barely enough to hold positions during intensifying Russian assaults.

Russia’s population is more than three times the size of Ukraine‘s, and president Vladimir Putin has shown a willingness to force men to the front if not enough volunteer.

Russia’s defence minister warned his French counterpart against deploying troops to Ukraine in a rare phone call today and noted that Moscow is ready to take part in talks to end the conflict.

Sergei Shoigu told French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu that if Paris follows up on its statements about the possibility of sending a French military contingent to Ukraine, “it will create problems for France itself,” according to a statement from the Russian defence ministry. It didn’t elaborate.

The conversation followed French president Emmanuel Macron’s comments in February, in which he said that the possibility of Western troops being sent to Ukraine could not be ruled out.

The call marked the first such contact between Russian and French defence ministers since October 2022.

In rare call, Russian defense minister warns French counterpart against sending troops to Ukraine

Russian drone kills four in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

At least four people were killed in the early hours of this morning after Russian drones hit high-rise apartment blocks and private homes in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, officials said. The victims include rescue workers as the drones targeted the site of one attack in a repeat assault.

Kharkiv governor Oleh Synehubov said the death toll stands at four, with 10 injured, one in serious condition.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov also confirmed the death toll and said four people died at the scene of one attack, at least three of them drivers of emergency vehicles killed after they had arrived at the scene and a new strike occurred.

Mr Terekhov said there had been five drone strikes. One had triggered a fire, part of another building had collapsed, and at least three vehicles were seriously damaged.

One person was killed in a strike on private homes in another city district, Terekhov said.

Mr Synehubov said one of the injured was a nurse caught in a later, secondary blast.

Pictures and video posted online showed ladders from fire trucks operating under floodlights and extending up to shattered apartments at the top of high-rise blocks.

Mr Terekhov told Suspilne public television that signs of life had been detected from one person beneath rubble.

Recap: Ukraine ‘stops Russia’s advance west of Avdiivka'

Last month, the Ukrainian military said its forces halted a Russian advance outside Avdiivka :

Ukraine says it has finally stopped Russia’s advance west of Avdiivka

‘Building destroyers’: The Russian glide bombs changing the war

Russia ’s deadly new weapon is proving devastating for Ukrainian defensive positions on or near the front line. Tom Watling reports:

The glide bombs changing the face of the war on Ukraine’s eastern front lines

Russia considers removing Taliban from list of terror groups

Russia considers removing Taliban from list of terror groups ahead of upcoming talks

In pictures: Ukraine fights on

Members of the 37th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a French armoured fighting vehicle during military drills on Wednesday:

Villages wiped out, says Kherson chief

Some villages in the occupied Kherson region in southern Ukraine no longer exist, the exiled head of the military administration of the city of Oleshky has reportedly said.

Tetiana Hasanenko told Radio Svoboda of the constant shelling and complete lack of electricity, water and gas, according to The Kyiv Independent .

The situation in Oleshky in Kherson is deteriorating under Russian occupation, Ms Hasanenko said.

This year, 21 civilians have been wounded and seven killed under Russian occupation, she added, describing the situation as “simply catastrophic”.

“These are not complete numbers, these are only those people we have become aware of,” she said.

“Civilians are constantly dying.”

Oleshky was also hit by Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last year, and suffered widescale flooding.

EU leaders to discuss agenda including Ukraine

European Council president Charles Michel is about to start talks with several European Union leaders on the bloc’s goals for the nex five years, including Ukraine:

EU Council chief travels to Romania for talks on agenda for future with other bloc leaders

Germany’s AfD asks candidate to ‘clarify’ Russian cash report

The leadership of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has asked one of its politicians to “clarify” a report that he received money from a pro-Russian news portal, amid growing scrutiny across Europe of right-wing parties’ links to Moscow.

Petr Bystron, a member of the German Bundestag and an AfD candidate in this summer’s European Parliament elections, has strongly denied the report.

In a letter on Wednesday, AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tina Chrupalla said Mr Bystron must explain his position on the matter by Thursday afternoon “to dispel all allegations beyond doubt and so that our party’s federal executive committee is able to react accordingly”.

German magazine Der Spiegel and Czech newspaper Denik N alleged that Mr Bystron had received money from the portal Voice of Europe after the Czech government last week sanctioned the operators and backers of the platform due to suspected Russian influence.

The Czech foreign ministry said the operators had sought to stir up sentiment in Europe against support for Ukraine through interviews with pro-Russian politicians. The portal also conducted interviews with the AfD’s top candidate in the European Parliament elections, Maximilian Krah.

A Spiegel journalist also said the Czech authorities had incriminating audio evidence of Mr Bystron.

In an interview with the Funke Media Group, he said: “I did not accept any money to promote pro-Russian positions.”

Kremlin denies new mobilisation plan

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s assertion about a new Russian mobilisation this summer, Russian news agencies have reported.

Mr Zelensky said Russian authorities were allegedly “preparing the mobilization of 300,000 additional military personnel” by 1 June.

“This is not true,” Mr Peskov told Tass.

France tells Russia it condemns war

French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu during the course of which he had reaffirmed that France condemned Russia’s “war of aggression” in Ukraine, Mr Lecornu’s office said.

It was the first call between the two leaders since October 2022, a spokesperson for France’s defence ministry said.

Recap: ICC prosecutor and officials discuss compensation for Ukraine

Ministers and officials from dozens of countries are gathering in the Netherlands for a conference on restoring justice in Ukraine . Among speakers will be the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and military officers linked to the war:

The ICC prosecutor and government officials are discussing justice and compensation for Ukraine

Finland signs Ukraine security deal

Finland’s president has signed a 10-year security deal with Ukraine in Kyiv, where president Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed Russia planned to mobilise 300,000 new troops for its war by June.

The pact signed by president Alexander Stubb and Mr Zelensky made Finland the eighth Nato member this year to commit to long-term security cooperation and defence backing for Kyiv.

Finland, which shares a 1,340-km (830-mile) border with Russia, joined Nato a year ago.

Mr Stubb said Finland would also send 188 million euros in additional military aid, including air defences and heavy-calibre ammunition. That sum took Finland’s overall defence contribution to around 2 billion euros during the war.

“We are not giving this military support only for Ukraine to defend itself, we are giving this military support for Ukraine to win this war,” Stubb told a news conference in Kyiv.

Norway follows its neighbor Denmark in planning an increase in conscripted soldiers

Norway is to increase the number of conscripted soldiers from the present 9,000 to 13,500, the Norwegian government said Tuesday.

“We must have enough people with the right skills at the right time,” Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram said. “We will need more people with professional military expertise going forward.”

The country’s armed forces will see a gradual increase in the number of conscripts for initial service each year, Arild Gram said, adding that several billion kroner (several hundred million dollars) will be invested in the Norwegian Armed Forces’ facility at Terningmoen, north of Oslo , where the NATO member will gather all new recruits. He did not specify precisely how much oil-rich Norway will spend.

The head of Russia ‘s national security council on Wednesday contended that the United States shares blame for the attack by gunmen on a Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people, even though a branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

Since the March 22 attack at the Crocus City Hall, the deadliest on Russian soil in two decades, Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly claimed, without presenting evidence, that it was organized by Ukraine , which has been fighting a Russian invasion for more than two years.

An affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack and Kyiv has consistently denied involvement.

Nato countries to start planning new Ukraine aid structures, Stoltenberg says

Nato countries have not yet taken a decision on the structure of future aid for Ukraine, but agreed on Wednesday to move forward with planning on the matter, Nato’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said.

“Today we didn’t take any final decisions on what format we will establish, but we agreed to initiate planning,” Mr Stoltenberg told reporters after a meeting of Nato foreign ministers.

The ministers met to discuss how to put military support for Ukraine on a long-term footing, including a proposal for a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) five-year fund and a plan seen as a way to “Trump-proof” aid for Kyiv.

Russia says new South Korean sanctions are ‘unfriendly’ and vows to respond

Russia considers South Korea’s decision to impose sanctions against Russian individuals and entities as an “unfriendly” move and will respond in due course, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

South Korea has imposed sanctions against two Russian vessels which it says were carrying military cargo to North Korea. Seoul said on Tuesday it had also sanctioned two Russian organisations and two Russian citizens linked to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.

“This is an unfriendly move by Seoul and is deeply regrettable. The imposition of - I emphasise - illegitimate sanctions will have a negative impact on relations with Russia,” Zakharova told reporters at her weekly briefing.

“Russia is developing good neighbourly ties with friendly North Korea in accordance with the norms of international law, without harming the national security of (South Korea),” she added.

Ties between Moscow and Pyongyang have strengthened following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia‘s far east last year.

Court orders a detained Russia-US journalist to remain in custody for two more months

A court in Russia on Monday ordered a detained Russian-American journalist to be held in jail for two more months pending investigation and trial, in a further step in the Kremlin’s crackdown on dissent and free speech.

Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service, was taken into custody on Oct. 18 and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent while collecting information about the Russian military. Later, she was also charged with spreading “false information” about the Russian military.

A court in Tatarstan Monday ordered her to remain behind bars at least until June 5.

Moscow preparing to launch a ‘big attack’ this summer, Ukrainian military officers warn

Russia is preparing to launch a “big attack” this summer that could plummet Ukraine into crisis, high-ranking Ukrainian military officers have warned.

The officers who served under General Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief of armed forces, told POLITICO that Russia is gathering resources and is likely to “launch a big attack around August” but warned it could be sooner.

One of the military sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “There’s nothing that can help Ukraine now because there are no serious technologies able to compensate Ukraine for the large mass of troops Russia is likely to hurl at us.

“We don’t have those technologies, and the West doesn’t have them as well in sufficient numbers.”

NATO is debating a plan to provide more predictable military support to Ukraine in coming years as better armed Russian troops assert control on the battlefield, the organization’s top civilian official said Wednesday.

“We strongly believe that support to Ukraine should be less dependent on short-term, voluntary offers and more dependent on long-term NATO commitments,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said before chairing a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers in Brussels .

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukraine lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 to help replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war. A shortage of infantry combined with a severe ammunition shortfall has helped hand Russian troops the initiative.

NATO has returned to ‘Cold War mindset' as it marks 75th anniversary, Russia says

Russia said that NATO had returned to a Cold War mindset as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary this week.

“Today, in relations with Russia, the bloc has returned to Cold War settings,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

She said NATO has no place in the “multipolar world” that Moscow says it seeks to build in order to end U.S. dominance, but that it remains the focus of Russian attention.

President Vladimir Putin launched what he called his “special military operation” in Ukraine in 2022 with the stated aim of preventing NATO from expanding its footprint close to Russia. But the war has served to galvanise the alliance, which has expanded to 32 members by admitting Finland and Sweden.

NATO foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss proposals that would give the alliance a more direct role in coordinating the supply of arms, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine.

Western governments say they are helping Ukraine fight for its survival in the face of Russia‘s invasion. Zakharova said NATO’s history was “full of aggressive adventures that brought wars and destruction to many nations”, and its anniversary was no cause for celebration.

Putin vows to find the masterminds of the Moscow concert hall attack and urges tighter security

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Tuesday to track down the masterminds of the Moscow concert hall attack that left 144 people dead in the worst assault on Russian soil in two decades, and urged the country’s law enforcement agencies to tighten security at mass gatherings.

Putin has repeatedly sought to link the March 22 attack to Ukraine and the West despite the Islamic State group’s claim of responsibility and Kyiv ‘s vehement denial.

Speaking at a meeting with top officials of the Interior Ministry that oversees the nation’s police force, Putin said it is important to determine “not only the perpetrators of this outrage, but all links in the chain and its beneficiaries.”

Japan’s support for Ukraine is unwavering, PM Kishida tells Zelensky

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country’s support for Ukraine was unwavering during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, the foreign ministry in Tokyo said.

Zelensky said in a post on X he briefed Kishida on the battlefield situation and emphasized the need to step up sanction pressure on Russia and create a mechanism for confiscating frozen Russian assets.

“Prime Minister Kishida said he would like to express heartfelt respect for the courage of President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, and that Japan will not waver in its position of standing together with Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement.

‘Building destroyers’: The Russian glide bombs changing the face of the war on Ukraine’s eastern front

Winged explosives weighing up to 1,500 kilograms – and nicknamed the ‘building destroyer’ – have had a devastating impact wherever they have been used, writes Tom Watling . Kyiv is battling them as best it can but needs Western allies to step up and provide more weapons, air defences and ammunition:

In a Ukrainian stronghold near the front line , less than 20 miles from the eastern city of Donetsk, a winged bomb is seen hurtling towards a multistorey building.

The 1,500-kilogram explosive hits the structure in the town of Krasnohorivka, erupting into a fireball before engulfing the whole building in a plume of grey and black smoke.

The camera, filming from several hundred metres away, shakes as the ground beneath it rocks from the aftereffects of the explosion.

NATO ministers mull 100 billion euro military fund for Ukraine

NATO foreign ministers met on Wednesday to discuss how to put military support for Ukraine on a long-term footing, including a proposal for a 100 billion euro ($107 billion) five-year fund and a plan seen as a way to “Trump-proof” aid for Kyiv.

The proposals by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg would give the Western alliance a more direct role in coordinating the supply of arms, ammunition and equipment to Ukraine as it fights Russia‘s invasion, diplomats say.

The plans will be discussed during a two-day meeting in Brussels that will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and prepare for a July summit of alliance leaders in Washington.

“We need to shift the dynamics of our support,” Stoltenberg said as he arrived at the Brussels meeting.

“We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul, so that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments. Less on short-term offers and more on multi-year pledges.”

He declined to confirm levels of funding and said the aim was for a decision to be taken at the July summit.

Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to plug a shortfall in troop numbers fighting Russia

Ukraine on Wednesday lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The new mobilization law came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed it last year.

Russia says foreign minister Lavrov to meet China's Wang soon

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will soon meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

At the meeting, Lavrov and Wang will discuss Ukraine and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, among other issues, Zakharova told a weekly briefing.

The meeting could lay the groundwork for a trip to China that Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to make in May. Five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters last month that Putin would hold talks there with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in what could be the Kremlin chief’s first overseas trip of his new six-year presidential term.

NATO seeks accord on more robust support to Ukraine to show Russia cannot win war

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday the members states will discuss an accord to increase support to Ukraine in a more predictable way to send the message to Russia that it cannot win the war.

At the start of a NATO summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg told reporters that Ukraine needs more and new money from NATO over many years.

However, he declined to comment on a possible $100 billion aid fund for Ukraine specifically.

Putin ally points finger at Ukrainian special services for concert shooting, cites no evidence

Top Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev said on Wednesday that “Ukrainian special services” were behind last month’s deadly concert shooting near Moscow and that Ukraine was under the control of the United States, state media reported.

Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council, provided no evidence for Russia‘s latest claim of Ukrainian involvement. Ukraine has denied having anything to do with the attack that killed at least 144 people, and the United States has said Islamic State militants bore sole responsibility.

Cameron calls for increased Nato spending amid Ukraine conflict

British Foreign Minister David Cameron on Wednesday will call for Nato allies to bolster defense spending and production in support of Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

“Allies need to step up and spend more on defence in the face of continued Russian aggression and a more dangerous world,” Lord Cameron will say in a speech on the occasion of 75 years of NATO history since its founding April 4, 1949.

The British minister will ask the allies to endorse British-led initiatives to procure Nato standard missiles and munitions for the Ukrainian armed forces. The UK has spent billions of dollars in its support for Ukraine since 2022 when the invasion began.

“With Ukraine closer to Nato than ever, we must sustain the critical support Ukraine needs to win the war,” Lord Cameron will say.

Speaking at a meeting of Nato’s foreign ministers, Cameron will also welcome Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom to the Nato alliance.

Sweden officially joined Nato in March, two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced it to rethink its national security policy and conclude that support for the alliance was the Scandinavian nation’s best guarantee of safety.

Lord Cameron also pointed to Nato’s commitment to integrating Ukraine into the alliance, reaffirming all allies’ consensus on Ukraine’s future Nato membership.

In February, Britain had announced a new package of sanctions against Russia and said it was seeking to diminish Russian President Vladimir Putin’s weapons arsenal and war chest.

Ukraine expects power exports to resume on Wednesday, ministry says

Ukraine expects significant electricity exports to rebound on Wednesday, but the volumes are still well below levels prior to Russia’s recent missile attacks on the Ukrainian power system, Ukraine‘s energy ministry has said.

Ukraine‘s electricity imports reached a record high at the end on March after a string of Russian missile strikes on critical infrastructure caused blackouts in many regions.

The attacks, the largest of which came on 22 March , have caused major damage to generating and transmission facilities, forcing Kyiv to halt power exports and rely on imports.

“No shortage of electricity is expected. Ukraine‘s energy system is stable and balanced,” the ministry said in a statement.

It said power exports were expected to reach 1,487 megawatt hours (MWh) on Wednesday.

The ministry said Ukraine could also import 5,415 Mwh in periods of maximum consumption.

Ukraine imported 10,867 Mwh on Tuesday with no exports, the ministry said.

The head of national grid company Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi told Reuters on Monday that recent Russian attacks had caused significant damage to the power system, but a total collapse is unlikely.

Ukraine’s latest attack is deepest strike yet inside Russia

Ukrainian drones attacked industrial facilities in the province of Tatarstan, Russian authorities said Tuesday, in what would be Kyiv’s deepest strike inside Russian territory since the war began more than two years ago.

Seven people were injured in the attack on facilities near the cities of Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, located some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) east of Ukraine , Russian regional authorities said.

The strike damaged a hostel for students and workers in a free economic zone where a factory manufacturing Iranian-designed drones is reportedly located, other media reports said. Tatarstan is known for its high level of industrialization.

Here are some of the latest photos from Ukraine

Below are some of the latest photos from Ukraine.

Ukraine downs four Russian drones in overnight attack

Ukraine’s air force shot down all four drones used in Russia’s overnight attack on central regions, the Ukrainian military said on Wednesday.

The Shahed drones were destroyed over Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr regions. The attack caused a fire in Kirovohrad region which has since been put out, the region’s governor said on Telegram messaging app.

Separately, a Russian missile attack on Tuesday damaged four educational facilities and nine residential buildings in Dnipro, injuring 18 people, the Dnipropetrovsk region’s governor reported on Wednesday morning via Telegram.

Russia has recently intensified its attacks on Ukraine, targeting grid infrastructure to deal significant damage to the country’s power system.