Four killed as Russia pounds Ukraine with 660+ drones

A major Russian overnight attack on Ukraine killed at least four people and injured more than 30 others as Moscow launched over 660 drones and missiles in a barrage that targeted the city of Dnipro in southeastern Ukraine and hit several other regions. Russia's air force reported that 619 drones and 47 missiles were used in the attack, with Ukrainian air defences managing to intercept 580 drones and 30 missiles. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes, which he said targeted urban infrastructure including residential buildings, energy facilities, and businesses, calling for immediate and decisive action from Western partners to strengthen air defences. In Dnipro, rescue operations continued after a Russian strike hit a residential building, with regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha reporting that two bodies were recovered from the rubble while five people could still be trapped. Twenty-one people in the city were wounded, with 11 hospitalized. The attack also impacted the northern region of Chernihiv, where missile and drone strikes killed two people and wounded seven others, as well as affecting the Odesa and Kharkiv regions. Meanwhile, drone fragments were recovered in the southeastern Romanian city of Galati, damaging an electricity pole and a household annex during an overnight Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, marking the first incident where property was damaged by falling debris on Romanian territory. Russia has been launching smaller barrages of dozens of drones every night at Ukraine, interspersing them with occasional large-scale attacks that use hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles. The attack comes as Ukraine faces multiple challenges, including the dismissal of a military commander after images of severely undernourished frontline soldiers sparked nationwide outrage over logistical failures. On a more positive note, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner of war swap, with 193 captured personnel returned to each side in an exchange facilitated by the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the EU approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine covering two-thirds of its needs for the next two years, with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen stating that the bloc is doubling down on support for Ukraine as Russia doubles down on its aggression.