Kyiv, Ukraine: Russian strikes on southern Ukraine killed one person and wounded four, military officials said Sunday, as Russia reported shooting down more than 300 Ukrainian drones, some close to the key cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Russia has fired hundreds of drones on its neighbour almost nightly since its 2022 invasion, while Ukraine has carried out regular retaliatory attacks. Both countries have stepped up the use of drones in recent months.
Military officials in the frontline Ukrainian city of Kherson said a Russian drone hit a private company vehicle, killing one man and wounding four people, one a 63-year-old woman.
Russia's defence ministry, meanwhile, said military air defence units intercepted 334 Ukrainian drones during the night across about 15 regions.
It said some were shot down near the capital Moscow, far from the front line. Some 59 drones were shot down in the Leningrad region, whose major city is Saint Petersburg and which also includes key Baltic ports.
The ministry did not say whether there were casualties.
Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine in April, an AFP analysis of data published by Kyiv's air force showed.
Russia launched 6,583 long-range drones during the month -- two percent more than the number fired in March, which at the time was also a record.
For one day in late March, Russia's defence ministry said its air defence systems had destroyed 389 Ukrainian drones.
While diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are deadlocked, Russia has proposed a ceasefire for May 9, the day it marks the World War II victory over Nazi forces. Ukraine has said it is studying the proposal.
