Russian forces carried out a large drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing three people, including a child, and injuring dozens, according to officials on Thursday.
The attack late on Wednesday was part of a series of Russian strikes that have caused civilian casualties and increased in frequency in recent weeks, as the U.S. continues to work on negotiating a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Serhii Lysak, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration, reported that 30 people, including five children, were injured in the attack. Local authorities mentioned that the drones caused extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including a school, a dormitory, a gymnasium, and several residential buildings. Emergency responders reported multiple fires caused by the strikes.
In response to the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to provide more air defense weapons to Ukraine. “Every defense package from partners for Ukraine now, every form of support from the world for our resilience, is literally protecting lives,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “Russia uses every day and every night to kill.”
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian delegation was in Paris for talks with representatives from countries in the “coalition of the willing,” which includes France, Germany, and the U.K. Andrii Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, said that the multinational force is being prepared as a long-term security guarantee to prevent future Russian aggression once a ceasefire is in place.
The Ukrainian delegation also included Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Yermak mentioned that discussions with U.S. representatives were planned as well, stating, “We are working on important aspects for the security of Ukraine and all of Europe.”
In addition, Ukraine and the U.S. are continuing talks on a long-awaited minerals agreement. Zelenskyy said Thursday that a memorandum of intent, rather than the full agreement, could be signed online that day, which would grant the U.S. access to Ukraine’s large mineral resources.
Firefighter extinguishing fire after the attack“This memorandum is important. It’s the first step,” Zelenskyy said at a briefing in Kyiv. Earlier this year, negotiations on the deal stalled after a tense Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy, but talks have resumed. Trump confirmed that there was an agreement on the minerals deal, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said they were still working on the details, with the signing possibly happening around April 25.
The minerals deal framework previously included plans for a joint U.S.-Ukraine investment fund to support the reconstruction of Ukraine’s economy, which has been devastated by the war.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has raised concerns about alleged military cooperation between Russia and China. Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had received intelligence confirming that China is supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery. He added that Chinese representatives are involved in weapons production on Russian territory. Ukraine plans to present supporting evidence next week.
China has been a strong diplomatic supporter of Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has offered economic support to Moscow through trade in energy and consumer goods.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that its air defense systems shot down 71 Ukrainian drones across six regions overnight. Forty-nine of the drones were intercepted over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. Additional drones were shot down over the Bryansk, Vladimir, Oryol, Ryazan, and Tula regions.
Meanwhile, Russia launched five missiles and 75 strike drones against Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. Air defense forces destroyed 25 drones, and another 30 drones were jammed.