Russia launches 60 drones at Ukraine

Russia launched 60 drones at Ukraine overnight, injuring several people, officials in Kyiv said yesterday, indicating a sharp decrease in the intensity of Moscow's attacks after it conducted three nights of massive aerial bombardment.

The earlier attacks - which the Ukrainian Air Force said included a record barrage of 355 drones on Sunday night - prompted US President Donald Trump to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin had "gone absolutely CRAZY" and threaten sanctions.

The air force said Russia's latest drone attack hit targets in nine locations and used 60 drones. A 17-year-old boy was among 10 people who were injured overnight and early yesterday, officials said.

"Air defence forces were working during the night in Dnipropetrovsk," Serhiy Lysak, governor of the central-eastern region, said on the Telegram messaging app.

Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said yesterday that Ukraine, backed by certain European countries, had taken several 'provocative steps' aimed at derailing Moscow-initiated direct peace talks with Kyiv.

The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years took place on May 16, but failed to produce a ceasefire agreement.

"At the initiative of the Russian Federation, direct Russian-Ukrainian dialogue on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine has been resumed," the ministry said.

"At the same time, the Kyiv regime, supported by certain European countries, has taken a number of provocative steps aimed at disrupting the negotiation process."

According to the Russian ministry, since May 20, Ukraine has significantly increased drone and missile attacks on Russian territory, using Western-supplied munitions and targeting civilian areas.

Between the evening of May 20 and the morning of May 27, Russian air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 2,331 Ukrainian drones, including 1,465 outside the immediate conflict zone, the ministry said.