At least 15 people have been killed and nearly 100 others injured in a series of Russian attacks across Ukraine, including a ballistic missile strike on a drone technology exhibition near Kyiv.
The exhibition, attended by members of Ukraine's defence sector, was hit by a missile that caused the majority of the casualties. In separate attacks, a Russian glide bomb struck the eastern city of Sloviansk, killing five people, while another strike in the northern city of Sumy claimed the lives of two men.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said intelligence reports suggested Russia could launch another major missile attack within the next 48 hours.
Ukraine also carried out strikes inside Russia. A Ukrainian attack on the city of Kirov, more than 1,000 kilometres from the front line, reportedly killed six people and injured 26 others. Kyiv said the target was a factory producing components for Russian aircraft and missile systems.
In addition, Ukrainian forces struck warehouses linked to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. Ukraine said the facilities could be used to support Russian military logistics, although the attacks also affected several small and medium-sized businesses.
Russia confirmed its strike on the Kyiv exhibition, claiming it used precision long-range weapons to target a site where drones intended for attacks on Russian territory were being demonstrated. Moscow also said drone manufacturers and Ukrainian security officials involved in planning operations against Russia were present at the event.
The Ukrainian government has launched an investigation into why the exhibition was held in a public location and whether adequate security measures were in place.
Meanwhile, President Zelensky is expected to visit the United States next week for talks with President Donald Trump as Washington seeks to revive peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
