Russia says it downed 1,198 Ukrainian drones; four dead in Volgograd

Russia said it shot down 1,198 Ukrainian drones overnight, killing four people in the Volgograd region, according to the Defense Ministry and local authorities. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported 467 drones targeted the Moscow region, most neutralized. The attack spanned over twenty Russian regions, with Volgograd suffering the worst impact. Four industrial zone employees died and two were injured there, Governor Andrei Botcharov said. The strikes followed U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner meeting Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin. Russia and Ukraine have escalated long-range strikes in recent months, increasingly targeting civilian sites like factories, refineries, and ports, causing growing civilian casualties. Russia launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine in February 2022.