Ukraine's air force

Russian air attacks killed six people in northeast Ukraine on Thursday, authorities said, as President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of cynically targeting civilians.

Russian forces have stepped up their aerial bombardment of Ukraine in recent weeks, resulting in power cuts for thousands of people as the country's electricity grid is targeted.

Russia began voting on Friday in an election set to prolong President Vladimir Putin's rule by six more years, as Kiev branded the vote a "farce" and launched a barrage of deadly attacks on border regions.

Kiev has launched some of its largest air attacks on Russia this week ahead of the vote.

Ukraine claimed Tuesday that its forces had destroyed a Russian military patrol boat on the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia 10 years ago.

The strategic waterway has become an increasingly important battleground as Ukrainian forces claim a string of attacks on Moscow's fleet.

Russia fired dozens of missiles and drones at Ukraine on Wednesday in a "massive" early morning attack that killed at least four and injured more than a dozen, officials in Kiev said.

Russian strikes on the capital Kiev killed three people, local authorities said, as images showed a large fire billowing in the top floors of a high-rise residential building.

Day 684 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Ukraine's military raised air alerts nationwide on Tuesday, warning there was a threat of missile strikes from Russian bombers.

"Missile danger in areas where the air alert is on! Threat of launching cruise missiles from Tu-95MS aircraft. A total of 16 Tu-95MS strategic bombers are in the air," the air force said on Telegram.

Day 671 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

Ukraine's air force said Tuesday it had destroyed a Russian fleet ship in the Black Sea suspected of carrying drones for use in Moscow's war against Kiev.

The large landing ship Novocherkassk was "destroyed" by air force pilots, the service posted on the Telegram messaging platform.

Russia struck the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odesa again on Sunday, local officials said, keeping up a barrage of attacks that has damaged critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine in the past week. At least one person was killed and 22 others wounded in the attack in the early hours.

Deadly Russian missile strikes hit southern and eastern Ukraine on June 14 as Ukrainian air defenses fought back against Moscow's intensified attacks.

Russia fired four Kalibr missiles on southern port city Odesa from a ship in the Black Sea, Ukraine's air force said, with air defenses shooting down three of them.