Russian drones strike major cities in Ukraine

The Russian military attacked several regions of Ukraine with drones, local authorities reported, saying at least two people were killed in Odessa. Air raid alerts were activated in 11 regions of Ukraine during the bombings in the late hours of April 30 and early hours of May 1.

The “large-scale” attack on the Black Sea port city of Odessa, as described by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service in a Telegram post, killed two people and injured 15 others. Odessa Governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram that the Russian attack on Odessa damaged high-rise buildings, houses, a shop and a school.

"Fires broke out in some places, which our rescuers are putting out," he added. Kiper had earlier warned of the risk of drone attacks, telling residents of Odessa and the region to find shelter.

"Emergency and municipal services are working on the ground to eliminate the consequences of the attacks, and to provide the necessary medical assistance to the victims," ​​Odessa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said on Telegram.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the Ukrainian president, reacted after Russia's attack on Odessa, calling for a "complete ceasefire", in a post on Telegram.

"We must engage in this together with the United States and Europe," he wrote, adding that "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin will always have the desire to kill."

"But diplomacy, force and economic pressure will convince Russia to end the war," Yermak said. Explosions were also heard in the northeastern city of Sumy, while air raid alerts were activated in several places, including Sumy, Kiev, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia.

Video: The town of Kostiantynivka, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, is facing attacks from Russian artillery and bombs. As civilian casualties mount, an 84-year-old resident is defying calls to evacuate the town, saying she will stay in her home, despite the risks.

Kharkiv prefect Ihor Terekhova said a drone had hit the border between two districts of the city, causing a fire and injuring an unknown number of people. Terekhova later reported that the drone had hit a gas station in the Kiev district. The eastern city of Kharkiv itself was also hit, regional governor Oleh Synyehubov said, citing initial reports. He added that a fire had broken out as a result of the attack.

The Russian attacks came as the United States and Ukraine signed a minerals agreement, which the administration of US President Donald Trump called an economic partnership that recognizes "the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided for the defense of Ukraine since Russia's large-scale invasion."

After initial hesitation, Ukraine accepted the deal as a way to secure long-term investment from Washington, amid moves by Trump and his administration to limit American security commitments around the world. Meanwhile, a group of 72 U.S. senators expressed support for a bill that threatens Russia with tough new sanctions if it refuses to engage in serious negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

The announcement came from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the bill's sponsors, Bloomberg reported. According to an initial version of the bill, which was obtained by Bloomberg News, the proposed measures include a sweeping 500 percent tariff on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas or uranium./ REL