Escalating fighting defies diplomatic efforts to end Ukraine war
Heavy exchanges between Ukrainian and Russian forces continued on Thursday, leaving several civilians dead despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to broker a settlement.
Russian state-run TASS reported that Russian forces intercepted 217 Ukrainian drones in a single day. Russian security services also claimed that clashes in the Serebryansky Forest had left Ukraine's 53rd Mechanized Brigade nearly destroyed, with the unit losing most of its combat capability.
In Ukraine, shelling of Novaya Zburyevka village killed three civilians. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched a nighttime assault involving 574 drones and 40 missiles.
A separate Russian strike on Kostiantynivka in Donetsk killed three people and injured four others, according to the city's Regional Prosecutor's Office.
The escalation comes amid renewed diplomatic activity. US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, followed by discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Monday to explore ways to end the conflict. No breakthrough has yet emerged.
Earlier, the White House has indicated that a trilateral meeting involving the US, Russia, and Ukraine is being planned, with Budapest cited as the preferred location.
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