Russian strike on Ukraine shopping centre kills at least four

A Russian strike on a shopping centre in the central Ukrainian city of Pavlograd on Thursday killed at least four people and wounded 60 more, according to the authorities.

The attack comes as the two sides intensify long-range barrages on each other hundreds of kilometres behind the front lines, increasingly targeting civilian sites alongside factories, refineries, warehouses and ports.

According to statistics verified by the United Nations, civilian deaths in Ukraine are running at their highest rate since the first months after Russia invaded in February 2022.

"About an hour ago, the Russians struck a shopping centre in Pavlograd city centre. It happened in broad daylight whilst the streets were packed with people," Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi said on Telegram.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was on a trip to Canada, said that "as of now, four people have been reported killed" in the attack, offering his "condolences to their families and loved ones".

"More than 60 people were wounded in this strike alone," Zelensky said, adding that dozens were also wounded in the eastern city of Kramatorsk "by Russian bombs that struck residential buildings".

Just over the border in Russia's Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone strike on the town of Novy Oskol killed one person and wounded six others, according to the rescue services.

In the face of the increase in strikes, Ukraine has highlighted its urgent need for improved aerial defences -- especially US-made Patriot systems capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.

"We are working as intensively as possible with our partners so that we can protect Ukrainians from this Russian terror," said Zelensky, announcing that Canada would provide Ukraine with an "important assistance package" for air defence.

While the Ukrainian leader suggested earlier this week that talks on ending Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II could happen this month, the Kremlin has said it was "too early" to discuss a venue or dates.

With Washington hoping to revive long-stalled stalled efforts towards ending the fighting, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed the conflict on Tuesday in what the Kremlin called an "extremely frank" and constructive hour-long phone call.

US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner also visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend in an attempt to kickstart long-stalled US efforts to end the fighting.

Several previous rounds of talks have failed to bring the warring neighbours closer together.

Moscow is demanding Ukraine cede territory in its eastern Donetsk region that it still controls and renounce Western military support.

Kyiv has said such terms amount to capitulation and would only allow Russia to prepare a fresh attack in its bid to install a Moscow-friendly puppet government.