Russian drone attack kills 3 in southern Ukraine as further U.S.-led peace talks approach

Russian drone attack kills three in southern Ukraine amid escalating tensions and upcoming U.S.-led peace talks.

A Russian drone attack killed three people in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region overnight, authorities said on Thursday (January 29, 2026), as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow is planning another large-scale barrage despite plans for further U.S.-brokered peace talks at the weekend.

The Zaporizhzhia strike caused a major blaze in an apartment building, according to emergency services.

Firefighters also worked through the night to put out fires in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, where two people were injured, officials said.

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Mr. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate Russia is assembling forces for a major aerial attack. Previous large attacks, sometimes involving more than 800 drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, have targeted the Ukrainian power grid.

The ongoing attacks discredit the peace talks, Mr. Zelenskyy said. “Every single Russian strike does,” he said late on Wednesday (January 28, 2026).