Russian strikes on Ukraine kill four - authorities

Russian air attacks across Ukraine early today killed at least four people and damaged critical infrastructure, including a port and a maternity hospital, authorities said, as Russia pressed on with its war against Ukraine.

Moscow has been firing drones at Ukraine in nightly barrages during its four-year invasion launched in February 2022, with Kyiv accusing it of attacking residential areas and targeting civilians.

In the southern port city of Odesa, two people were killed and at least 13 wounded, said Sergiy Lysak, the head of the city's military administration, adding that one of the hits damaged a maternity hospital.

AFP images showed shattered windows, with rubble inside the building and shards of glass strewn across the floor and treatment chairs.

"There was no military purpose whatsoever - this was pure terror against ordinary civilian life," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media about the strikes on Odesa.

A port in the Odesa region was also damaged in the shelling, after several hits were recorded on its infrastructure, Ukraine's state ports authority said.

Russia launched 273 drones at Ukraine overnight, 252 of which were shot down, the Ukrainian air force said today.

In Kryvyi Rig, a man was killed in a morning strike that hit an industrial enterprise, said Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipro regional administration. He said fires erupted at the site.

In the central Poltava region, one person was killed after Russian drones hit a residential building and industrial facilities, regional authorities said.

State oil firm Naftogaz said the victim was its employee who worked as a process plant operator.

"We have suffered a tragic loss. Our colleague, 55-year-old Roman Chmykhun, was killed during one of the attacks," Naftogaz said on Telegram, adding: "This is the second death of one of our colleagues this week."

It said its facilities in the region were targeted "for the third day running".

In Russia's Yaroslavl region, a child was killed in a drone attack, regional governor Mikhail Evraev said on Telegram.

Moscow said that a total of 155 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed in Russia's airspace overnight.

Ukraine says Iran lying about destroying anti-drone depot in UAE

Meanwhile, Ukraine has said Iran was lying about having struck a depot housing Ukrainian anti-drone systems in the UAE, after Tehran said it destroyed a facility used to aid US forces.

Foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said "this is a lie, we officially refute this information", saying Tehran "often conducts such disinformation operations".

Ukraine has moved rapidly to provide anti-drone expertise, developed while fending off Iranian-designed drones launched by Russia, to the Gulf countries as they come under fire from Iran.

Tykhy was speaking after Iran's central military command Khatam Al-Anbiya said in a statement carried by state TV that it had destroyed a depot in the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on an unannounced tour of the Gulf that Kyiv and Abu Dhabi had agreed to cooperate on defence. Qatar also announced its own deal with Ukraine.

Ukraine and Saudi Arabia also signed an air defence agreement during Zelensky's visit to the kingdom, two senior officials said yesterday.