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In eastern Ukraine, fighting for the strategic city of Pokrovsk
has reached a key stage, with both Kyiv and Moscow vying to
persuade U.S. President Donald Trump that they can win on the
battlefield.
Russia fired a total of 458 drones and 45 missiles, including 32
ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized
406 drones and nine missiles, the air force said, adding that 25
locations were struck.
Authorities switched off power in several regions due to the
attacks, Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk said in a
post on Facebook.
A fire broke out and several apartments were destroyed in the
nine-story building in Dnipro, the emergency services said.
Rescuers recovered the bodies of two women and two children were
among the injured.
Almost four years after its all-out invasion, Russia has been
pummeling Ukraine with near-daily drone and missile strikes,
with many civilians killed and injured.
Several regions have faced rolling power cuts as Moscow bashes
Ukraine's power grid ahead of winter, according to the national
energy operator. The Kremlin claims its only targets are linked
to Kyiv’s war effort.
Pokrovsk sits along the eastern front line, part of what has
been dubbed the “fortress belt” of Donetsk, a line of heavily
fortified cities crucial to Ukraine’s defense of the region. It
could also be a key point in influencing Washington's stance and
sway the course of peace negotiations, analysts say.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims his forces are on the
cusp of winning. As a prerequisite for peace, he demands that
Ukraine cede the Donbas, made up of Donetsk and neighboring
Luhansk, one of his key war aims.
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