Putin and Zelenskyy trade threats as Ukraine and Russia face fresh wave of attacks

Russian drone strikes across Ukraine have killed at least one person and injured more than a dozen others, while tensions escalated further after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exchanged warnings over the next phase of the war.

Ukrainian officials reported attacks between Tuesday and Wednesday in Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro. In Dnipro, emergency crews recovered the body of a man from beneath the rubble of a damaged building.

The latest strikes come as the war enters its fifth year following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Fighting along the eastern and southern fronts remains largely deadlocked, while international efforts led by the United States to broker a settlement have so far failed to produce a lasting breakthrough.

The confrontation also intensified on the political front late on Tuesday, with both leaders signalling that further escalation remained possible.

Zelenskyy warned international airlines against flying over Russia, saying continued Ukrainian long-range drone operations meant Russian airspace could effectively become closed.

He said Ukraine's expanding campaign against Russian targets was designed to increase pressure on Moscow and force it towards genuine peace negotiations.

Putin responded by accusing Zelenskyy's government of engaging in what he described as "state terrorism" and declared that Russia would not negotiate with terrorists.

Speaking at a late-night news conference on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan, Putin was also questioned about reports that Ukraine had used British-supplied drones to attack targets inside Russia.

Asked whether Moscow could retaliate against British military facilities if Britain continued supplying weapons to Ukraine, Putin refused to rule out such action.

He described any potential response as a "military secret", while appearing to smile as he answered.

Russia has received military and other support from countries including China and North Korea, while Iran has previously supplied assistance and weaponry.

The latest exchange between Putin and Zelenskyy comes as European governments consider how to respond to what they describe as an increasingly aggressive Russian campaign of sabotage and disruption across the continent.

Germany has accused Russia of being behind an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle airport last month, saying the device was carrying explosives.

Odesa hit by major barrage

Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 174 attack drones overnight, including around half that were jet-powered models that are more difficult to intercept. Moscow also fired two ballistic missiles and two air-launched missiles.

The southern city of Odesa was among the hardest-hit areas.

Regional officials said a 24-storey apartment building was damaged, with several floors suffering destruction. Eight people, including a child, were injured.

Several office buildings and two educational facilities were also damaged, according to local authorities.

The attack knocked out electricity in parts of Odesa, disrupting electric-powered public transport and adding to the disruption caused by the strikes.

The Kyiv region was also targeted, with officials reporting that a man and a woman were wounded by shrapnel during morning attacks.

It was the seventh consecutive day that Kyiv had come under attack, although officials said the latest barrage was less intense than some of the previous strikes.

A warehouse was set on fire, while another blaze was reported at an educational facility. A medical practice was also damaged.

Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in an attempt to disrupt everyday life and weaken public morale.

Russian regions targeted

Ukraine also continued its long-range drone campaign against targets inside Russia.

Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences destroyed 130 Ukrainian drones overnight. The ministry said the drones were intercepted over 11 Russian regions, as well as Crimea and the Black Sea.

In Russia's Belgorod border region, two people were reportedly killed and 16 others wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks, according to acting regional governor Aleksandr Shuvaev.

Shuvaev said the region had come under attack around 140 times during a 24-hour period.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on domestically produced long-range drones to strike targets deep inside Russia.

The campaign has frequently focused on oil facilities and other parts of Russia's energy infrastructure, as Kyiv seeks to impose economic costs on Moscow and disrupt its ability to sustain the war.

Ukrainian forces have also targeted warehouses operated by major online retailers, in a strategy intended to bring some of the consequences of the conflict closer to the Russian population.

With both sides continuing to launch attacks far beyond the front line, the latest escalation underscores the widening nature of the conflict and the continuing difficulties facing international efforts to secure a peace agreement.