By BBC
Russia has launched hundreds of drones and missiles on western Ukraine overnight in one of the heaviest bombardments in recent weeks, Ukrainian officials have said.
Strikes were reported in Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv, where one person was killed and others injured.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strikes highlighted why diplomatic efforts to end the war and stronger air defences were “critical”.
It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Switzerland, Austria or Turkey as possible venues for potential peace talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Elsewhere, Palestinians are fleeing parts of Gaza City after the Israeli military began the first stages of a planned ground offensive, officials in the city say.
Israel’s troops have established a foothold on the outskirts of the city – which is home to more than a million Palestinians – after days of intense bombing and artillery fire.
It has prompted UN Secretary General António Guterres to renew calls for an immediate ceasefire “to avoid the death and destruction” an assault would “inevitably cause”.
Israel wants to signal that it is pressing ahead with its plan to capture all of Gaza City despite international criticism.
