2 dead in Russian strikes on Ukraine as uncertainty surrounds planned peace talks

At least two people, including a 9-year-old girl, were killed in Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, as questions remain over Kyiv’s participation in upcoming peace talks proposed by Moscow.

Russia launched a large-scale drone and missile assault on Ukraine overnight and into Saturday, killing at least two civilians and injuring others, Ukrainian officials reported. The attacks come amid continued uncertainty over whether Ukrainian diplomats will take part in new peace talks proposed by Moscow for early next week in Istanbul.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 109 drones and five missiles, of which three missiles and 42 drones were intercepted. Another 30 drones reportedly failed to reach their intended targets without causing damage.

One of the victims, a 9-year-old girl, was killed in a strike on the front-line village of Dolynka in the Zaporizhzhia region, local governor Ivan Fedorov said. A 16-year-old was also injured in the same attack. "One house was destroyed. The shockwave from the blast also damaged several other houses, cars, and outbuildings,” Fedorov stated on Telegram.

In a separate incident, a man was killed by Russian shelling in Ukraine’s Kherson region, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

While Moscow has not commented on the latest civilian casualties, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have captured the village of Novopil in Donetsk and Vodolahy in northern Sumy. Ukrainian authorities responded by ordering evacuations in 11 settlements in Sumy as Russian forces advanced in the area.

The renewed violence casts further doubt over the feasibility of peace talks. Although Russia has proposed holding them in Istanbul early next week, Kyiv has not confirmed its participation.

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