The eastern cities of Dobropillia and Bohodukhiv were targeted, with buildings and cars severely damaged. (AFP: Ukrainian Police Service)
In short:
Russian missile strikes on Ukraine have killed at least 14 and wounded 30 ahead of peace talks in Saudi Arabia next week.
The Ukrainian interior ministry says the eastern cities of Dobropillia and Bohodukhiv were targeted by ballistic missiles and multiple rockets and drones.
What's next?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will fly to Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of a Tuesday meeting with US officials.
At least 14 people have been killed and 30 wounded, including five children, in overnight Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's eastern city of Dobropillia, according to the Ukrainian interior ministry.
The ministry said on Saturday Russian forces attacked the city with ballistic missiles, multiple rockets and drones, damaging multi-storey buildings and cars.
The attacks came days ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian negotiators aimed at a truce.
Separately, three people were killed in a drone attack and seven others were wounded early on Saturday in the city of Bohodukhiv, said Kharkiv region military head Oleg Synegubov.
The overnight air raids come after US President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs on Russia but said it might be "easier" to work with Moscow than Kyiv on efforts to end the three-year war.
Five children were among the dead in city of Dobropillia, according to Ukrainian officials. (AFP: National Police of Ukraine)
After Mr Trump publicly berated Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a White House meeting and suspended US aid to Kyiv in a stated bid to encourage diplomacy, the US president told reporters on Friday that he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine and they don't have the cards," Mr Trump said.
"It may be easier dealing with Russia."
The remarks followed Mr Trump earlier on Friday threatening new sanctions and tariffs on Russia over its bombardments of Ukraine — his warning coming just hours after Moscow launched a "massive" drone and missile attack on Ukrainian energy facilities.
Ukraine 'interested in peace'
Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a war of words with Donald Trump when they met in the US last month. (Reuters: Brian Snyder)
Mr Zelenskyy is due to land in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The meeting will take place a day before Ukrainian officials are expected to hold fresh talks with their US counterparts in the kingdom.
After meeting with Prince Mohammed, Mr Zelensky said his team would "remain in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners".
"Ukraine is most interested in peace," he added.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready to work under Trump's 'strong leadership'
Photo shows A bearded man holds his hand to his forehead
Earlier on Friday, he renewed calls for a mutual halt to aerial attacks on critical infrastructure following the recent Russian barrage.
The Ukrainian leader said the first steps to establishing real peace should be stopping both Russian and Ukrainian aerial and naval attacks.
This latest proposal builds on growing rhetoric from Kyiv, Washington and Moscow on halting the war.
The Kremlin has previously ruled out a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine.
Moscow's defence ministry said on Saturday its air defence systems destroyed 31 Ukrainian drones over the past night, with most over the territory of Krasnodar Krai.
A Ukrainian drone attack also targeted Russia's Kirishi oil refinery, with air defence forces shooting down one drone on approach and another over the territory of the facility,
Leningrad Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko said the "external structure of one of the reservoirs was damaged by falling debris".
A civilian was wounded by a drone attack in Belgorod district near the border, Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
The latest clashes came after EU leaders, shaken by the prospect of US disengagement, agreed to boost the bloc's defences.
Washington, however, has said talks with Kyiv about securing a ceasefire with Moscow are back on track after the public falling out between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy.
US envoy Steve Witkoff said he would speak to Ukrainian negotiators about an "initial ceasefire" with Russia and a "framework" for a longer agreement at the talks in Saudi Arabia.
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