(PICS/AFP)

A separate Russian drone strike on Odesa killed two people and injured 15 others, damaging homes, a school, and a supermarket. In Kharkiv, a drone hit a petrol station, causing a fire in the city centre, said Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had ignored US-backed proposals for a ceasefire and continues to target civilian areas. The surge in attacks occurred just hours after the US and Ukraine signed an agreement on mineral resource cooperation.

The deal grants the US access to Ukraine's mineral reserves, a move seen as bolstering long-term aid and economic ties. Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics, called the deal a major diplomatic success for Ukraine.

Mylovanov clarified that the agreement does not demand Ukraine repay past US aid or limit sales exclusively to American buyers. Ukrainian citizens reacted with a mix of hope, caution, and scepticism, with some fearing the country’s resources are being traded away.

In Moscow, responses were muted, but Russian officials accused Ukraine of bartering its national wealth for foreign military support. Dmitry Medvedev and other Russian commentators claimed the deal amounts to economic submission and exploitation of Ukraine.

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