Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine is prepared to hold talks with Russia in Azerbaijan, where he is currently visiting. He made the announcement after meeting Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Zelenskyy wrote on X that he began his visit by meeting a Ukrainian expert team sharing their experience in defending the skies against Russian drones and missiles. He arrived in Azerbaijan on Friday to sign agreements on defence and energy cooperation, following a visit to Saudi Arabia where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Russian attacks kill several people across Ukraine
Russian drone and missile strikes on the city of Dnipro killed at least five people and wounded more than 30 on Saturday, regional authorities said. Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the region, said the bodies of four people were found in the ruins of a house destroyed in overnight attacks, and a later strike on another apartment building killed one more.
“The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Ganzha wrote on Telegram.
In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone struck a civilian minibus, killing one person and wounding four, regional head Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram. Ukraine’s Odesa region was also hit overnight, wounding two people. Oleh Kiper, the region’s head, said residential buildings, port infrastructure and cars were damaged in the southern part of the region.
Russian drone crashes in Romania
As attacks targeted Odesa, a drone fell in Romania, crashing in a residential area of the town of Galati near the Danube. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, NATO member Romania has repeatedly reported airspace violations and found drone fragments on its territory, but local media said this was the first time debris caused material damage.
Emergency services said a drone crashed in a populated area with a possible explosive charge. There were no casualties, but an electricity pole and a house outbuilding were damaged and gas supplies in the area were cut as a precaution. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu summoned the Russian ambassador, the ministry said.
Edited by: Sean Sinico