Several killed as Ukraine and Russia trade overnight strikes

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Several killed as Ukraine and Russia trade overnight strikes

Russian air strikes have killed several people across Ukraine overnight into Sunday, while a Ukrainian drone attack on an industrial facility in the Russian region of Saratov killed one person.

Several regions across Ukraine were hit by Russian drones overnight into Sunday, regional authorities reported.At least one person was killed in the Donetsk region, after two Russian strikes hit the city of Druzhkivka on Sunday morning. Two others were injured, according to local police.The police said at least five houses and two vehicles were damaged in the strike.Another strike hit the Sumy Military Administration building, its head Oleh Hryhorov said in a post on Telegram. No injuries were reported.In Dnipropetrovsk, several trains were cancelled on Sunday after Russian forces attacked a train station in Synelnykove, according to the chairman of the state railway operator.Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 100 drones overnight, 70 of which were destroyed by air defences.Ukrainian drone damages Russian industrial facilityOne person was killed in the Russian region of Saratov after a Ukrainian drone hit a Russian industrial facility, also damaging several apartments in the area.Saratov's regional governor Roman Busargin posted on Telegram that residents were evacuated from three apartments damaged by drone debris.Russian air defence units destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, including eight over the Saratov region, the defence ministry said.Local media reported that the Ukrainian drone attack sparked a large fire and explosions at a Saratov oil refinery.Meanwhile, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported that Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village of Bezsalivka in Sumy, on the border with Russia.Bezsalivka is located about 30 kilometres west of heavy fighting on the Sumy frontline, where Russian troops are advancing towards the regional capital.Russia continues to advance deeper into Sumy more than two months after opening a new front in the northeast of the country.An 'end of the war must be fair', says ZelenskyyUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared his support for a joint statement issued by European leaders on peace for Ukraine in a social media post on Sunday.Saturday's statement, signed by the president of the European Commission and leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the UK, stressed the need for a “just and lasting peace” for Kyiv, including “robust and credible” security guarantees.“Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities,” the statement said.“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force,” the Europeans added.It comes ahead of planned talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.The White House had earlier confirmed Trump was willing to grant Putin the one-on-one meeting Russia has long pushed for, and suggestions from Trump that a peace deal could include “some swapping of territories," raising fears Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty.A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they aren’t allowed to speak publicly, said that Trump remained open to a trilateral summit with both the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, but for now, he will have a bilateral meeting as requested by Putin.