Zelenskyy welcomes leaders from 7 countries for a regional summit

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed leaders and representatives from seven regional countries for talks on deepening cooperation on Friday, as overnight Russian strikes in multiple regions sparked fires and caused several deaths and injuries.

The inaugural summit of the so-called “Carpathian Eight” brings together Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, with the European Union also involved.

It comes as U.S.-mediated efforts to end Russia’s 4 1/2-year full-scale invasion have stalled, with the issue of territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine among the central sticking points. Ukraine is also seeking security guarantees from partners for a deal.

Some of the nations attending the meeting in western Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region, such as Poland and Romania, have been staunch supporters of Ukraine. Others, such as Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia, have refused to provide Kyiv with direct military assistance.

Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram that the summit was a “significant beginning” of a movement intended to “further strengthen ties between our countries and create another strong element of cooperation at the EU level.”

He added that the participating countries would work together on security, energy, logistics, cross-border economic ties and support for local communities.

Russian strikes spark fires and cause deaths and injuries

Two people were killed and two others injured in Russian strikes overnight in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said in a statement on Telegram.

The strikes sparked fires in warehouse and production buildings. Rescuers were forced to retreat during repeated air raid alerts, while emergency deminers inspected the area for explosive devices. Firefighters later extinguished the blazes.

Another Russian drone attack destroyed a shopping complex in Zaporizhzhia, injuring one person and triggering a fire, the service said.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Friday said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 629 Ukrainian drones overnight over 14 Russian regions, as well as illegally annexed Crimea and the Azov and the Black seas.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 350 drones were headed toward Moscow, but that most were destroyed far from the Russian capital while 64 were downed as they approached the city.

In the southern region of Rostov near the border with Ukraine, houses and residential buildings and were damaged in an attack, local authorities said. There were no casualties, according to Rostov Gov. Yuri Slyusar.

The Russian military said Friday it carried out drone strikes overnight on Ukraine’s ports, vessels and a logistics centers operating for the military.

Russian forces hit a bulk carrier in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk and a Nova Poshta logistics facility, 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) northwest of Odesa, that the Russian Defense Ministry said was used for storing and distributing military cargo from Europe.

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