Russian drone strike on Ukraine tower block kills two women

Firefighters put out a fire following the attack in Dnipro. Picture: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP

A Russian drone slammed into a tower block in eastern Ukraine early on Saturday, killing two women and leaving at least 12 people injured including two children, Ukrainian emergency services reported.

The attack in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, came as further to the east, fighting for the strategic city of Pokrovsk has reached a key stage, with both Kyiv and Moscow vying to persuade US 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 neutralised 406 drones and nine missiles, the air force said, adding that 25 locations were struck.

Authorities switched off power in several regions because of the attacks, Ukrainian energy minister Svitlana Grynchuk said in a post on Facebook.

Firefighters evacuate a resident following the Russian rocket attack that hit a multi-storey apartment building in Dnipro (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

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 pummelling Ukraine with near-daily drone and missile strikes, with many civilians killed and injured.

Several regions have also faced rolling power cuts as Moscow attacks 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 which has been dubbed the “fortress belt” of Donetsk, a line of heavily fortified cities crucial to Ukraine’s defence 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 neighbouring Luhansk, one of his key war aims.