Russia reports four dead in major Ukrainian drone attack

Russia reported shooting down nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones overnight, one of the largest swarms of the war, with at least four people killed in the southern Volgograd region. The attack occurred as U.S.-led diplomacy to end the conflict intensifies. Russia's Defence Ministry said air defence systems intercepted 1,198 drones over more than 15 regions, with four deaths reported at an industrial zone housing an oil refinery and chemical factory. The strikes followed U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday before debriefing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin. Ukraine has escalated drone attacks on Russia's energy industry over the past 18 months to cut Kremlin revenues, while Russia has targeted Ukraine's power grid, leaving residents without electricity as winter approaches. The war, launched in February 2022, is nearing its fifth year amid ongoing peace negotiations.