Kyiv’s military administration said four people were killed and 23 wounded in the capital, including a child, after overnight attacks involving ballistic missiles and waves of Shahed drones.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five emergency responders were killed in Kharkiv after they were hit by a second strike while battling a fire caused by an earlier attack. At least five other rescuers were wounded.

Authorities said powerful explosions were reported across Kyiv overnight, with civilian infrastructure heavily damaged. Several strikes hit residential areas in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district, including a 25-story apartment building, while a market and grocery store also caught fire.

A nine-story residential building in the Obolonskyi district was also damaged after being directly hit.

Kyiv officials accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas, while Moscow has continued to carry out long-range missile and drone attacks during the ongoing war.

The strikes also caused major damage at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Ukraine’s most important religious landmarks.

Officials said a major fire broke out at the historic monastic complex, while Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, said the roof of the Dormition Cathedral was damaged.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, dates back to the 11th century and includes churches, monasteries and underground caves. It has long been considered a major religious and cultural center in Eastern Europe.

The latest attacks came as Russia and Ukraine remain locked in a war that has entered its fifth year, with Moscow continuing strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

EU foreign ministers from the 27-member bloc will begin talks with Ukraine and neighboring Moldova on the first cluster of EU legislation, opening the next stage of their accession process.

Ukraine’s progress had been delayed for nearly two years after Hungary blocked further movement under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The path reopened after his rival Peter Magyar won elections in April.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said the move recognized the efforts and reforms undertaken by Ukraine and Moldova despite significant challenges.

The decision provides political support for Kyiv, which applied for EU membership after Russia’s invasion, but officials said major obstacles remain before accession can take place.

Ukraine must complete negotiations covering 35 chapters of EU law, including areas such as environment, agriculture, justice and security, organized into six major clusters.

A European diplomat said the process would be complicated by the ongoing war, institutional reforms and challenges including organized crime.

Hungary’s new leadership has suggested that even if negotiations are completed, membership could still take many years, while some EU officials have discussed alternative arrangements.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed the idea of Ukraine becoming an “associate member” without voting rights while it works toward full accession, a proposal that Kyiv has viewed with caution.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine’s goal remains full EU membership with complete rights.

The broader debate comes as Ukraine, Moldova and other candidate countries seek closer ties with the bloc, raising questions about how the EU would function with more members.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the EU should prepare itself to accept Ukraine by 2030 if Kyiv completes the required reforms and negotiations.

He stressed that the timeline would depend on Ukraine’s progress and the outcome of accession talks.

Trump’s call with Putin lasted nearly an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who said the US president emphasized the need to end hostilities and was prepared to encourage European allies and Kyiv toward that goal.

Ushakov said Putin argued that Ukrainian attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure would not alter the battlefield situation and said that if Zelensky wanted to meet, he should travel to Moscow.

The discussions also included Iran, with Trump saying an agreement with Tehran was close and that details could soon be made public, Ushakov said.

Zelensky said he had a “wonderful conversation” with Trump and thanked him for supporting Ukraine. He said the two leaders discussed steps that could help move toward peace and agreed to continue discussions during the G7 summit.

The diplomatic contacts came as fighting continued. Ukrainian drone attacks killed two people in Russia’s Oryol and Bryansk regions, according to local authorities. A separate drone strike hit fuel storage facilities in Russia’s Yaroslavl region, causing fires.

Zelensky said the Yaroslavl strike targeted an oil facility important to Russia’s reserves. Ukraine has increased attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, arguing that the sector supports Moscow’s war effort.

The calls took place as Trump prepared to travel to France for the G7 summit, where Ukraine is expected to be a major issue. Zelensky is scheduled to join discussions with world leaders.

The conflict has remained a challenge for Trump, who previously said he could end the war quickly but has since shifted focus toward broader diplomatic efforts.

Separately, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom detained a tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” vessels accused of helping evade sanctions linked to the war.

British forces boarded the tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel in cooperation with French authorities. Starmer said the operation was aimed at increasing pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Tetiana Zaitseva, 68, said her son Artem Zaitsev, 44, died shortly after being taken to a territorial recruitment center in Kryvyi Rig following his detention by police and military personnel during the night of May 4-5, 2024.

Ukrainian authorities have attributed his death to a medical episode linked to a heart condition. Zaitseva disputes that finding and says injuries sustained while in custody contributed to his death.

The case has drawn attention as Ukraine continues mandatory military mobilization introduced after Russia’s 2022 invasion. While reported incidents involving violence against conscripts represent a small fraction of overall call-ups, complaints have increased as the conflict has evolved into a prolonged war of attrition.

According to information documented through official announcements and media reports, at least 30 Ukrainians have died after mobilization since September 2023. Most cases involved pre-existing medical conditions, while four individuals died by suicide and two were reported to have been beaten.

Videos circulating on social media have also shown recruitment personnel forcibly detaining men for military service, fueling public criticism of enlistment practices. At the same time, recruitment officers have increasingly become targets of violence. Police data show three recruiters have been killed since 2022 and more than 600 attacks on recruitment centers have been recorded.

Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who took office in January, has pledged what he described as major changes to the mobilization system amid concerns over enforcement methods and public trust.

A Ukrainian officer serving on the front line told AFP that responsibility for mobilization should rest with police rather than military personnel and called for tougher penalties against corruption within the recruitment process.

Cases involving officials accused of issuing draft exemptions in exchange for bribes have further undermined confidence in the system, according to observers and polling data.

Zaitseva said she visited her son at the recruitment center shortly before his death and observed injuries to his face, including bruising and swollen lips. She said he assured her he was well enough at the time.
A second medical examination conducted at her request roughly 16 months after his death found evidence of non-fatal injuries, including broken ribs, that investigators said were sustained at the recruitment center.

A criminal case initially opened under a murder classification was later closed without further action before being reopened in February following an appeal by Zaitseva.

The case has been widely circulated by Russian media outlets and by Ukrainian blogger Myroslav Oleshko, who left Ukraine after seeking to avoid military service. Ukrainian investigative outlet Bihus criticized such coverage, arguing that some actors were using legitimate grievances to advance political or propaganda objectives.

Despite concerns over information manipulation, public dissatisfaction with recruitment practices remains significant. Oleksii Antypovych, director of polling firm Rating Group, said survey data indicate that more than 70% of Ukrainians are dissatisfied with recruitment authorities.

Antypovych said public frustration could deepen unless reforms are implemented to improve transparency and accountability within the mobilization process.

Standing beside her son’s grave near her home in Kryvyi Rig, Zaitseva said she continues to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding his death and wants those responsible, if any wrongdoing is established, to be held accountable.

The meeting followed a summit in London earlier this week attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, France and Germany. During the gathering, the three European countries expressed support for Kyiv’s proposal for direct talks with Moscow aimed at ending more than four years of conflict.

French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere described the discussions at Russia’s Foreign Ministry as constructive and told reporters that a joint statement would be released later in the day.

Russia, however, characterized the talks differently, saying the ambassadors were informed of what Moscow described as the “destructive” Ukraine policies of their governments. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Britain, France and Germany of seeking to prolong the conflict at Europe’s expense.

The diplomatic contact comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a proposal by Zelensky this month for a face-to-face meeting intended to advance peace negotiations.

At the London summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed Zelensky’s initiative and said the current battlefield positions should serve as a starting point for future negotiations.

Western European diplomats have had limited direct engagement with Russian authorities since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine. Contacts have largely been confined to formal summonses and diplomatic exchanges through established channels.

The meeting also reflects growing discussion within parts of Europe about whether renewed dialogue with Moscow could help create conditions for ending the conflict, which remains Europe’s largest war since World War Two.

Efforts led by the United States to broker a settlement have so far failed to produce a breakthrough. Diplomatic attention has also been increasingly diverted by the conflict involving Iran, complicating international attempts to advance negotiations on Ukraine.

Russia has generally preferred discussing the war with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and has repeatedly signaled opposition to a larger European role in any future settlement process.

Britain, France and Germany remain among Ukraine’s principal military, financial and diplomatic supporters and have consistently backed Kyiv throughout the conflict.

Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said Russian forces struck the city of Chuguiv overnight, killing four people, including a 22-year-old woman, and causing extensive damage to residential areas.“The enemy has hit the city of Chuguiv,” Synegubov wrote on Telegram, adding that the attack sparked fires, damaged at least 18 vehicles and shattered windows in multi-story apartment buildings.

Separately, Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said 10 people were wounded in strikes on the regional capital, one of Ukraine’s most heavily targeted cities because of its proximity to the Russian border.The latest attacks come amid a sustained escalation in aerial warfare between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian missile and drone strikes have intensified in recent months, while Kyiv has expanded its own long-range drone operations against targets deep inside Russian territory, saying those attacks are primarily aimed at military and energy infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort.

Kharkiv region has remained a focal point of the conflict, with repeated attacks on civilian and industrial facilities despite international calls for greater protection of non-combatants.According to United Nations estimates published in April, at least 15,850 civilians have been killed in areas under Ukrainian control since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. The UN said more than 2,800 civilians have also been killed in Russian-controlled territories.

The organization reported that more than 44,800 people have been wounded across Ukrainian-controlled and Russian-occupied areas since the start of the war.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine has shown signs of easing military operations, with both sides continuing regular drone and missile attacks as fighting persists along multiple sectors of the front line.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian newspaper Izvestia that the letter had been delivered to Putin overnight after first appearing in the media.

“Yes, overnight we already handed over the written version. What came from the media was passed on to the president, and he has reviewed it. The president has been briefed,” Peskov said.

Zelensky published the open letter on Thursday, calling for direct talks with Putin aimed at reaching an agreement to end the conflict. He said Ukraine remained prepared to continue fighting if no diplomatic breakthrough could be achieved.

The Ukrainian leader also sought to increase pressure on the Kremlin by arguing that Russians were growing weary of both the war and Putin’s leadership.

Peskov indicated that Putin could address the letter publicly later on Friday during a plenary session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, one of Russia’s flagship annual economic gatherings.

The Kremlin has not yet provided a formal response to Zelensky’s proposal or indicated whether Putin would consider a direct meeting with the Ukrainian president.

The exchange comes as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain stalled and fighting continues more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram that the strike targeted non-residential facilities in the Crimean capital. He did not specify the type of attack or provide further details on the targeted sites.

The reported attack comes amid continuing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides carrying out long-range strikes on military, energy and infrastructure targets.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities regarding the incident.Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, a move rejected by Ukraine and most Western countries, and has remained a frequent target of attacks since the start of the broader conflict.

Speaking to reporters during a visit to India, Rubio said the latest attacks underscored the urgency of finding a path toward ending the conflict, following a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“Every time you see these big strikes from one side or the other, it’s a reminder of why this is a terrible war,” Rubio said, adding that Washington remained willing to assist diplomatic efforts whenever an opportunity for progress emerged.

His remarks came after Russia launched a major attack on Kyiv and days after Moscow fired large numbers of drones and missiles at targets across Ukraine, attacks that Ukrainian authorities said killed at least four people over the weekend.

The renewed bombardment reflected a continuing escalation in hostilities as both sides intensify military operations more than four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia said on Monday it was prepared to carry out additional strikes against Kyiv, including what it described as the Ukrainian government’s “decision-making centers,” signaling that further attacks on the capital could follow.

The phone call between Rubio and Lavrov highlighted the limited but ongoing diplomatic contacts between the two countries. According to Russia’s foreign ministry, Lavrov urged the United States to remove diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Kyiv amid security concerns.

Rubio said Moscow had not singled out the United States and had instead issued a broader warning to foreign diplomatic missions operating in the Ukrainian capital.

“It was a notice sent to all the embassies,” Rubio told reporters.

The comments suggest Washington continues to balance support for Ukraine with efforts to preserve diplomatic communication with Moscow, even as prospects for a negotiated settlement remain uncertain and battlefield conditions continue to deteriorate.

The latest exchange between the two senior diplomats comes as the United States seeks to maintain engagement with both Kyiv and Moscow while monitoring the security risks posed by intensified Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s major cities.

Regional authorities said two people were killed in a drone strike on an apartment building in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while four others died in an aerial bomb attack elsewhere in the region.

Officials said four people were wounded in the Kryvyi Rih strike, including a nine-month-old child whose leg was severed in the blast, according to regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha and military administration head Oleksandr Vilkul.Zelensky condemned the attacks in a statement posted on Telegram, describing them as “cynical and devoid of all military logic.”

“After the end of the partial three-day ceasefire, Russia continues to kill and maim Ukrainians,” Zelensky said, adding that international pressure on Moscow should not be reduced.

The truce, linked to commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, had been part of a broader U.S.-backed diplomatic effort promoted by President Donald Trump to encourage negotiations after more than four years of war.

Although both Moscow and Kyiv reported reduced large-scale aerial bombardments during the ceasefire period, each side accused the other of continued frontline shelling, drone strikes and artillery attacks.Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had proposed extending the ceasefire, but Russia instead intensified attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and energy facilities.

Ukraine’s air force said drones were intercepted across multiple regions overnight, though strikes still caused damage to apartment buildings, power infrastructure, a kindergarten and rail facilities.In Kyiv, falling debris from a downed drone sparked a fire on the roof of a 16-story residential building in the Obolon district, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Authorities also reported injuries and infrastructure damage in the regions of Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson. In the southern Mykolaiv region, governor Vitaliy Kim said drone strikes on energy infrastructure caused localized blackouts.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had meanwhile struck gas infrastructure in Russia’s Orenburg region, more than 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, indicating Kyiv’s continued use of long-range drone operations against Russian energy assets.

The renewed attacks underscore the fragility of ceasefire efforts as diplomatic initiatives backed by Washington and European allies struggle to halt the conflict, which has increasingly evolved into a war of attrition marked by long-range missile and drone warfare.