Two people were killed in separate Russian drone attacks in Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian officials said, as international leaders gathered in London to discuss efforts to increase pressure on Moscow and advance prospects for ending the four-year conflict.
According to Ukrainian authorities, a 56-year-old minibus driver was killed in a Russian drone strike in the southern Zaporizhzhia Region. The country’s State Emergency Service said the victim was at work when the attack occurred.
In a separate incident, a 59-year-old man was killed in the central Dnipropetrovsk Region following a barrage of Russian drones and aerial bombs targeting two districts in the region.
Regional military chief Oleksandr Ganzha said the attacks also injured a 35-year-old man and caused damage to local infrastructure.
Ukrainian authorities further reported that a Russian strike partially damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage facility within the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. State-owned nuclear operator Energoatom said the facility was empty at the time of the attack and confirmed that radiation levels remained within normal limits.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga accused Russia of endangering nuclear safety, saying such incidents posed serious risks to critical infrastructure.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 236 drones overnight, with 215 intercepted by air defence systems.
The latest attacks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared to meet the leaders of France, Germany and United Kingdom in London to discuss the next steps in the war and international support for Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Zelensky publicly proposed a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed readiness for a full ceasefire as part of efforts to end the conflict.
Putin, however, said on Friday that a meeting would only be meaningful after the framework of a potential peace agreement had been established.
The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has continued to exact a heavy toll on both countries, with ongoing military operations, economic strain and diplomatic efforts yet to produce a lasting settlement.
