At least six Ukrainian civilians were killed and 11 others wounded, including a child, in Russian air strikes that targeted the highly coveted Donetsk region overnight, regional authorities said Saturday.<\/p>\n
Drones struck eight different locations, and downed wreckage fell in four other areas across the country. But hardest hit was Donetsk, where four people lost their lives, according to Gov.\u00a0Vadym Filashkin.<\/a><\/p>\n The Kremlin has launched more than 1,300 drones over the past week. x\/ZelenskyyUa<\/p>\n One of the partly Russian-occupied territories near the border between the warring countries, Donetsk has seen some of the most brutal fighting of the conflict over the last few weeks \u2014 as Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin focuses in on the region at the center of international peace talks.<\/p>\n Negotiations over the fate of Donetsk have been described as \u201cthe ball game,\u201d with Putin demanding Kyiv cede<\/a> the entire territory to the Kremlin. Russian troops currently occupy about 70% of the region.<\/p>\n Intelligence reports estimate that close to 700,000 Russian troops are deployed across Ukraine, with the bulk believed to be in Donetsk \u2014 \u201cwhich shows Russia\u2019s priorities\u201d military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said Friday on Ukrainian television<\/a>.<\/p>\n Medical facilities, schools, apartment buildings, houses and storefronts were badly damaged in the overnight blasts, The Kyiv Independent reported.<\/p>\n Moscow also attacked railway infrastructure and utility lines, resulting in power outages, the outlet added.<\/p>\n The month has gotten off to a brutal start in the nearly four-year-old war. <\/p>\n Almost every region of Ukraine has been targeted over the past week, Zelensky said Saturday. x\/ZelenskyyUa<\/p>\n Drones struck eight different locations, and downed wreckage fell in four other areas over the past day. Ukrinform\/INSTARimages<\/p>\n Since the beginning of September, the Kremlin has launched more than 1,300 drones, nearly 900 guided aerial bombs, and up to 50 missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the first week of September \u2026 explosions were heard in almost all regions of Ukraine,\u201d Zelensky wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia continues to prolong this war, attempting to turn diplomacy into an outright farce. There must be a collective response to this: to the shelling and destruction, to the disregard for diplomatic efforts and civilized dialogue. President Trump is absolutely right: to unblock diplomacy, effective restrictions on Russian oil and gas trade are needed.\u201d<\/p>\n The attacks come as Putin continues to stall negotiations toward a lasting peace deal.<\/p>\n The strongman warned the world Friday that any Western soldiers deployed to Ukraine would be considered \u201clegitimate targets.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Zelensky blamed Russia for continuing to prolong the war, which has gone on for three and a half years. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images<\/p>\n Putin has blasted the West\u2019s security guarantees for Ukraine. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n The comments came a day after French President\u00a0Emmanuel Macron said 26 European countries\u00a0pledged\u00a0to deploy troops for a post-war \u201creassurance force\u201d in Ukraine<\/a> during a meeting of the \u201ccoalition of the willing.\u201d<\/p>\n Putin mouthpiece Dmitry Medvedev blasted the West\u2019s discussions of security guarantees, calling the talks \u201cbulls\u2013t.\u201d<\/p>\n