Russian Drones Hammer Ukraine’s Odesa as Czech Leader Visits

Russia pounded Ukraine’s Black Sea city of Odesa with one of its biggest drone attacks late on Thursday, injuring three teenagers and sparking fires as the Czech president visited, Ukrainian officials said.

The attack comes as the United States is pushing for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, and hoping to agree a partial ceasefire that would halt strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.

Czech President Petr Pavel, a vocal backer of Kyiv who has led an effort to source more than one million artillery shells for Ukraine’s war effort, was in the port city for talks with regional officials at the time of the strikes.