Russia launches deadly strike on Kharkiv amid stalled peace talks

KIEV

Fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed three people and wounded 60 including children early Wednesday, authorities said, as Moscow pushed ahead with its relentless attacks after rejecting an unconditional ceasefire.

Russia has fired record numbers of drones and missiles at Ukraine over recent weeks, escalating three years of daily bombardments as it outlines hardline demands, rejected by Kiev as "ultimatums," to halt its invasion.

The northeastern city of Kharkiv, just 30 from the Russian border, again bore the brunt of the attack.

"Seventeen strikes by enemy UAVs [drones] were carried out in two districts of the city tonight," Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleg Synegubov said three people had been killed.

AFP journalists in the city saw damaged apartment blocks, burnt out cars and streets strewn with debris after the attacks.

Ukraine's air force said Russia had fired 85 drones overnight, fewer than in recent days.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said yesterday that Russia had returned the bodies of 1,212 soldiers who died fighting Moscow's invasion, part of an agreement between the two sides reached at peace talks in Istanbul last week.

"As a result of repatriation activities, the bodies of 1,212 fallen defenders were returned to Ukraine," a government agency said in a statement, after Moscow spent days accusing Kiev of not wanting to collect the bodies.

The two sides had agreed in Istanbul last week to release all wounded soldiers and all under the age of 25.