A dozen Ukrainians wounded in overnight Russian attack: Kiev

Ukraine on Thursday said that a dozen people were wounded in overnight Russian attacks on the capital Kiev and the southern Black Sea region of Mykolaiv.

AFP journalists in the capital heard air raid sirens and explosions ring out over the city during the attack.

The air force said that Russia had attacked with 145 drones, including the Iranian-designed Shahed, and that 85 were downed by air defence units.

The emergency services said 10 people were wounded with three taken to hospital in Mykolaiv and that a five-storey building caught fire during the attack.

They posted images of rescue workers evacuating the wounded from the scene and digging through the debris.

In Kiev, two people were wounded and a warehouse caught fire. Local authorities said 16 of 30 drones were downed over the city.

Moscow and Kiev have stepped up their aerial attacks despite recent attempts by the United States to bring both sides to talks to secure a halt to more than three years of fighting.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, meanwhile said it had downed 42 Ukrainian drones over western and southern regions of the country.