A Russian drone strike hit a covered market in the eastern Ukrainian city of Nikopol on Saturday, killing five people and injuring 19, officials said, as Moscow intensified its daytime attacks.
The strike occurred at about 9:50 a.m. local time, according to the regional prosecutor’s office. The market, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region, was struck while civilians were present.
Regional governor Oleksandr Ganja said three women and two men were among those killed. He added that a 14-year-old girl was among the injured and remained in critical condition.
Elsewhere, five people were wounded in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, near the front line, while in the northern Sumy region, 11 people were injured in overnight strikes targeting residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 286 drones overnight, with 260 intercepted.
Emergency service images showed severe damage, including a building with its upper floors engulfed in flames. Earlier reports also indicated three people were wounded in the Dnipropetrovsk region, including a five-month-old baby and a six-year-old boy.
In Russia, authorities reported that a missile and drone attack on the southern Rostov region killed one person and seriously injured four others in the city of Taganrog. Officials said three local residents and one foreign national were in critical condition.
Additionally, debris from a downed drone struck a foreign cargo ship in the Sea of Azov, causing a fire.
Stalled peace efforts
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Istanbul for talks with Recep Tayyip Erdogan focused on security cooperation.
Zelensky recently indicated willingness to consider a truce over the Easter period, but the Kremlin said it had not received clearly defined proposals.
Ukraine has accused Russia of prolonging the war to seize more territory, arguing that Moscow is not genuinely interested in peace.
Negotiations between the two sides, partly mediated by the United States, have stalled, with the wider conflict in the Middle East complicating diplomatic efforts.
Zelensky said he had invited a US delegation to Kyiv to help revive talks, suggesting a possible shuttle diplomacy approach between Kyiv and Moscow.
Amid the broader regional tensions, Ukraine has also highlighted its experience in countering drone warfare—similar to systems used by Iran—and has sought to deepen defence ties with Middle Eastern partners, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
He also suggested Kyiv could assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz, drawing on its experience reopening maritime routes in the Black Sea after Russian blockades.