Russia launched a mass attack on southern Ukraine, local officials said, two days after a rare air strike on central Kyiv killed 23 and damaged European Union diplomatic offices as US-led efforts to end Moscow’s three-year war on its neighbour staggered. The assault overnight into Saturday killed at least one civilian and wounded 28 people, including children, in the Zaporizhzhia region, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported, where a five-storey residential building was struck.

Russia launched 537 strike drones and decoys, as well as 45 missiles, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Ukrainian forces shot down or neutralised 510 drones and decoys, and 38 missiles, the force reported. Ukrainian President Zelensky said the latest attacks showed Russia’s “disregard for words”, adding that the only way to deal with Russia is to impose sanctions. “We expect action from the US, Europe, and the entire world,” he said.

Hours after the attack, the Trump administration approved a $825 million arms sale to Ukraine that will include extended-range missiles and related equipment to boost its defensive capabilities, as US efforts to broker peace between Ukraine and Russia appear to have stalled.