Russian strikes kill five in southern Ukraine

Authorities in Ukraine have said Russian air strikes killed at least five people in the south of the country, a day after both sides launched record overnight drone attacks on each other.

Four people were killed in the southern city of Mykolaiv, according to the regional governor, while another died in Zaporizhzhia in an attack that authorities said injured more than a dozen.

"Four dead," Mykolaiv Governor Vitaly Kim said on Telegram, revising up an earlier toll of two after an attack that set several residential buildings on fire.

About 300km to the east in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine's state emergency services agency said Russia carried out three air strikes that killed a man and damaged multiple buildings.

Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said that 18 people were injured, including five children.

The previous night, Russia fired 145 drones at Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, more than during any previous single nighttime attack during the conflict.

Russia also said it had downed 34 Ukrainian attack drones targeting Moscow yesterday, the largest attempted attack on the capital since the start of the war in 2022.