KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine overnight killed at least eight civilians and wounded others, Ukrainian officials said Thursday, as the war continued despite renewed diplomatic efforts at the United Nations General Assembly.

In northeastern Kharkiv region, a Russian strike killed six agricultural workers and wounded 12 others, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi. Two other civilians, a man and a woman, were killed in an attack on Kyiv. Officials in the southern port city of Odesa also reported heavy bombardment.

The attacks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the United Nations late Wednesday, urging countries to reduce Russia’s ability to finance the war through sanctions and trade restrictions. Zelenskyy and other world leaders have repeatedly called for international pressure on Moscow, but years of diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a breakthrough.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia’s demand for a comprehensive peace agreement rather than a temporary halt in fighting. His comments followed Ukraine’s call for a complete and unconditional ceasefire. Russia has also demanded that Ukraine surrender territory, a condition Kyiv has rejected.

The aerial conflict has intensified in recent months. Russia has continued launching cruise and ballistic missiles, glide bombs and jet-powered drones against Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces have used long-range drones to strike oil refineries and other facilities considered important to Russia’s economy.

Meanwhile, there have been few major changes along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line in eastern and southern Ukraine. Large numbers of drones operated by both sides have made movement increasingly difficult in many areas.

The latest Russian attacks caused extensive damage in Kyiv. Vyhivskyi said more than 50 civilian sites were damaged, including apartment buildings, post offices, a maternity hospital and a textile plant.

For residents, the repeated attacks have become a daily source of fear and disruption. Valentyna Kolosenko, a 49-year-old Kyiv resident, said a solid oak door she was standing behind protected her when three explosions struck near her home.

“Everything is paralyzed. Nothing works,” Kolosenko told The Associated Press, describing her journey to work as difficult and frightening.

Liubov Paziuk, a 74-year-old pensioner whose windows were shattered, said residents had learned to adapt to the attacks while remaining determined to stay in their homes.

“We don’t get used to it, we adapt, because we have only one choice: to stay here, on our land, despite everything,” she said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had targeted arms factories, telecommunications facilities and logistical sites in Kyiv and the Odesa region.

The United Nations said last week that more Ukrainian civilians had been killed and wounded during the first eight months of 2026 than during all of 2025. According to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Russian attacks in August alone killed at least 368 civilians and wounded 2,314 others.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the escalation demonstrated the need for continued diplomatic efforts alongside pressure on Russia and support for Ukraine’s defense.

With another winter approaching, Zelenskyy warned that conditions could become even more difficult. He said Ukraine would continue resisting while calling for steps to reduce tensions before winter.

At the same time, Ukrainian drones were reported to have struck targets in western Russia. Rostov region Gov. Yuri Slyusar said drone fragments damaged an administrative building at an oil refinery but caused no fire. In the Krasnodar region, fragments reportedly sparked a brief fire at an industrial facility. Ukrainian officials did not immediately comment on the reports.

The conflict also affected neighboring countries. Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said a drone entered Romanian airspace for about four minutes before crashing near a town in the northern part of the country close to the Ukrainian border. Romanian authorities had earlier scrambled two F-16 fighter jets and two Spanish F-18s after drones were detected in Ukraine near the border.

Romanian officials did not identify the drone’s owner.

Moldova’s Ministry of Defense also reported several airspace incursions during Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. The incidents prompted Moldovan authorities to close part of the country’s northern airspace.

Despite continued international calls for an end to the war, the latest attacks underscored the ongoing risks faced by civilians in Ukraine and the wider security concerns affecting neighboring countries.

SOURCE: Associated Press (AP), September 24, 2026. Report by Seth Borenstein?