Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow launches wave of attacks after deadliest strike on Kyiv this year

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow launches wave of attacks after deadliest strike on Kyiv this year It came as Kyiv observes a day of mourning after 30 killed, 91 wounded and more than 130 buildings destroyed in deadliest strike Four people were killed and another 10 injured in Russian overnight attacks on Ukraine, just one day after Moscow launched its deadliest attack on Kyiv this year. In the bordering Sumy region, two women, an elderly man and a girl younger than two years old were killed and three others injured after a Russian drone hit a house, said Oleh Hryhorov, the head of the regional military administration. Several people were also inured in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, president Volodymyr ZelenskyŌĆÖs hometown It comes as a day of mourning is observed in Kyiv on Friday after at least three dozen people were killed there on Thursday. Both Ukraine and Russia have since vowed to escalate fighting hours after Moscow unleashed the deadly bombardment. The attack left 91 injured and more than 130 buildings were destroyed. Mr Zelensky said his forces would ŌĆ£definitelyŌĆØ retaliate in response to the overnight attacks. Moscow ŌĆīsaid the attacks were retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. Mr Zelensky blamed the destruction in part on a failure of allies to deliver promised air defences which ŌĆ£could have saved more homes and lives todayŌĆØ. Russia claims capture of Kostiantynivka Russia's military told president Vladimir Putin yesterday that it had captured the key Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka. Moscow had long sought to capture the city, deeming it vital for the advance of its troops through the Donetsk region. "The troops of the group have liberated the city of Kostiantynivka, one of the main defensive hubs of the enemy within the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk-Kostiantynivka fortified area," General Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russia's General Staff, said. "We all know that this city is a key transport and large industrial centre of Donbas," Putin said. Watch: Suspect in Monaco assassination attempt is Ukrainian woman who dressed up as a man Ukraine and US negotiators held talks in past few days, says Zelensky A senior Ukrainian defence official, Rustem Umerov, and president Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner have held talks in the past two days, president Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday. Speaking at one of ŌüĀthe sites targeted ŌĆŗin ŌüĀa devastating Russian ŌĆīattack on Kyiv as rescuers sifted through ŌĆīrubble, Zelensky said he ŌĆīstill hoped Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff would ŌüĀvisit Ukraine even though US-backed peace efforts to end the war have stalled for months. Zelensky added that he ŌĆīhoped to have ŌĆŗa meeting with ŌĆīTrump on the ŌüĀsidelines of a ŌüĀNato summit in the ŌĆīTurkish ŌĆŗcapital Ankara next ŌĆīweek. Europe has largely filled funding gaps left by US, says Nato commander European NATO allies have largely filled the gaps left by the United States in the alliance's defence plans, NATO's top commander said on Thursday. US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich added that the bloc was looking at workarounds to address the remaining shortfalls in a few areas. "Most may not know ŌĆō although there was some reporting overnight about this ŌĆō that in a matter of weeks, European allies have largely filled the gaps left by U.S. reductions to the NATO Force Model," he said. "And in those few areas where they haven't, where they do not currently have a like capability to replace, we are looking at alternate capabilities with matching effect." Citing a NATO source, Reuters reported on Wednesday that NATO will announce at next week's Ankara summit that its European members have filled almost all the gaps left by the United States in the alliance's defence plans. Russia plotting attack on Poland to test NatoŌĆÖs resolve, US claims The US has warned Warsaw that Russia is planning an armed ŌĆ£provocationŌĆØ against Poland to test NatoŌĆÖs resolve, according to reports. The assault could see PolandŌĆÖs vital infrastructure targeted by missiles or drones, or even Russian soldiers crossing the border into Nato territory, Washington has said. Sources close to Polish president Karol Nawrocki told Polish outlet Onet that the aim of MoscowŌĆÖs possible assault, which could be launched in a matter of months, would be to provoke tensions and pressure UkraineŌĆÖs Western allies to suspend their military and financial aid. The US ŌĆ£systematically informs Poland about ever-new Russian plans for a conventional attack on NatoŌĆÖs eastern flank, from which Poland is by no means excludedŌĆØ, a source close to the Polish president said. WarsawŌĆÖs security services have admitted that a conventional attack, such as a small ground incursion, which Moscow may allege is an accident, is possible. Read more here: Russia plotting attack on Poland to test NatoŌĆÖs resolve, US claims Half a million dead but just 40 sq km gained in six months: Impact of PutinŌĆÖs devastating war in numbers After a bleak winter which saw months of fierce Russian bombing of Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the future is beginning to look more positive for Kyiv. Nearly four-and-a-half years since Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, RussiaŌĆÖs frontline advances have slowed almost to a halt, as Ukrainian counter-attacks and defensive tactics become more effective. Successes in local counterattacks have become more frequent, as Ukrainian forces scale up their use of ground robots and short-range drone warfare. But most importantly, Kyiv has succeeded in bringing home the war to Russia, inflicting costly damage to its fuel infrastructure which has caused major shortages. This has fomented public discontent in Russia, increasing the pressure on Putin to end the conflict. The cost of his war is laid bare in data showing the scale of Russian losses, offset against such small gains in territory. Read our ŌĆśIn NumbersŌĆÖ piece on the cost of RussiaŌĆÖs invasion in Ukraine. Poland detains two men suspected of spying for Belarus - ICYMI Polish security services have detained a Belarusian citizen and a Polish citizen suspected of spying on Belarusian exiles on behalf of the Belarusian intelligence services, Polish security services said on Thursday. "Men paid by Belarusian intelligence participated in events organized in Warsaw by the Belarusian minority, where they recorded and photographed participants," the spokesperson, Jacek Dobrzynski, wrote on X. "The collected materials ŌĆō passed across the eastern border ŌĆō were used by (President Alexander) Lukashenko's services and regime propaganda." The two arrests were part of an ongoing case in which three Belarusians and two Ukrainians were already detained last November. A court ordered the 19-year-old Belarusian citizen to be held for three months, while the Polish citizen, 44, was barred from leaving the country and placed under police supervision. The Belarusian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Industrial facility in Russia's Belgorod on fire after Ukraine's attack An industrial facility caught fire after Ukraine attacked the Russian city of Belgorod and its surrounding with missiles, Vesti news channel said, citing local officials. Energy infrastructure was damaged ŌĆīand water ŌĆīand gas supplies were ŌüĀinterrupted, Vesti added. A woman was killed in the attack, TASS ŌĆīnews agency ŌĆŗsaid ŌĆīseparately, ŌüĀciting local ŌüĀofficials. Swimmers flee as Russian missile strikes Ukraine indoor pool CCTV footage captures the moment that a Russian missile strike hit a swimming pool in Ukraine. Guests at the recreational centre in Zaporizhzhia can be seen swimming in the pool or walking around the side of it when the missile hits, as a huge cloud of ash fills the room. The regional administration did not immediately provide details on casualties. In the early hours of Thursday (3 July), Moscow also launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Kyiv, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest attack of the year so far. Watch here: Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks