KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — On Thursday, Russian forces carried out a significant drone assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, one of whom was a child, along with injuries to numerous others, according to official reports.
The walkout that occurred late Wednesday was the most recent one.
a series of Russian assaults
those have led to civilian casualties and have escalated recently, as the United States persists
attempts to discuss a truce
between Moscow and Kyiv.
Thirty individuals, among them five children, sustained injuries during the assault, stated Serhii Lysak, who leads the Dnipropetrovsk regional administration.
Local authorities said the drones caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including an educational institution, a dormitory, a gymnasium and multiple residential buildings. Emergency services said the strikes started multiple fires across the city.
In response to the Dnipro assault, Ukraine’s President did this:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
pressured partners to assist his nation with aerial defense weaponry.
“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 the messaging service Telegram on Thursday. “Russia uses every day and every night to kill.”
Meanwhile, a
Ukrainian delegation was in Paris for meetings
Andrii Yermak, who leads the Presidential Office, mentioned that discussions involved representatives from nations part of what’s known as the ” coalition of the willing,” such as France, Germany, and the UK.
The international military presence is anticipated to serve as a prolonged assurance of safety aimed at discouraging potential future acts of aggression from Russia after a truce has been established.
The group also comprises Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Yermak mentioned that meetings with U.S. officials were planned as well.
“We are focusing on crucial elements for securing Ukraine and the whole of Europe,” Yermak posted on Telegram.
Ukraine and the U.S. are still pushing forward with a delayed minerals pact, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned on Thursday that an initial memorandum of intent—rather than the complete contract—might be inked digitally later that day as a preliminary move, allowing the U.S. entry into Ukraine’s extensive mineral reserves.
A few days back, the U.S. side suggested reverting to a previous stage — a memorandum of understanding — as lawyers keep working on the comprehensive accord,” Zelenskyy stated during a press conference in Kyiv. “In my view, this memorandum holds significance; it represents the initial move.
The progress on the mineral agreement had come to a halt in February subsequently.
a disputed gathering in the Oval Office
Between U.S. President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy, negotiations have since restarted on an updated plan.
Trump, speaking to reporters
during a White House meeting with the Italian prime minister
On Thursday, it was verified that an agreement had been reached.
“We’ve got a minerals agreement,” he stated.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who attended the meeting as well, mentioned that they were “currently finalizing the specifics” for the signing, which he suggested might take place “sometime around April 25.”
He additionally mentioned that the deal is “largely as we had initially consented.”
A prior iteration of the framework agreement, acquired by The Associated Press, detailed proposals for a co-owned and administered investment fund between the U.S. and Ukraine aimed at aiding the rebuilding of Ukraine’s devastated post-war economy.
However, as Kyiv strives to strengthen its relationships with Western partners, it has expressed worries about potential military collaboration between Russia and China. According to Zelenskyy, Kiev has obtained evidence indicating that China is providing weaponry to Russia, such as gunpowder and artillery.
At the press briefing, he stated that according to reports from Ukraine’s security and intelligence organizations, certain Chinese delegates are implicated in arms manufacturing within Russia.
We are prepared to discuss this extensively,” Zelenskyy stated, mentioning that Ukraine plans to provide evidence next week to substantiate their assertions. “The collaboration between these two nations in this field is evident and cannot be ignored.
The Associated Press could not confirm Zelenskyy’s statement.
China has provided strong diplomatic support
for Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of neighbor Ukraine in February 2022. Beijing has also offered an economic lifeline to Moscow through trading in energy and consumer goods.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Thursday that their air defense systems had taken out 71 Ukrainian drones across six areas throughout the night. Among these, 49 drones were brought down over the Kursk region, which shares a border with Ukraine. This territory was captured by Kyiv’s forces in an unexpected assault back in August 2024.
The ministry reported that additional drones were shot down in the regions of Bryansk, Vladimir, Oryol, Ryazan, and Tula.
In Ukraine, Russia unleashed five missiles alongside 75 attack drones during the night, according to the air force statement on Thursday. The air defense units managed to shoot down 25 of these drones, whereas another 30 were thwarted through electronic warfare. &___
Chris Megerian, an Associated Press writer, provided contributions from Washington.
Check out AP’s reporting on the conflict in Ukraine here.
https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
