Russia and Ukraine intensify attacks as US pushes for renewed negotiations

Russia and Ukraine exchanged heavy attacks on Friday, with Kyiv reporting 21 Russian ballistic missiles fired and Moscow claiming 630 Ukrainian drones launched, as the US pushes for renewed negotiations to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the missile strikes killed two people and injured 34, including five children, across a dozen regions, while Russian officials reported casualties from drone attacks near Moscow and Belgorod. The sides also exchanged war dead, with Moscow returning 252 bodies and Ukraine 25, a step often linked to past talks. Russia said it is ready to resume US-mediated negotiations next month after President Vladimir Putin met US envoy Steve Witkoff, though Moscow expressed doubts about proposals drafted in Oslo, which reportedly included Ukraine ceding the Donbas region in exchange for NATO security guarantees.