Hundreds of Russian drones flying from all directions attacked Kyiv overnight into Thursday in an apparent new Russian tactic, marking a second consecutive night of ferocious attacks on Ukraine.

Officials say a Russian drone barrage has targeted the center of Kharkiv, injuring nine people and damaging a maternity hospital in Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Kyiv City Military Administration has announced the launch of a full-fledged interception system for Russian drones targeting Kyiv, with UAH 260 million (approx. US$6.2 million) set to be allocated for this initiative.

Nighttime assaults on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv have intensified in the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, with the number of drones sometimes exceeding 700. Swarms of 1,000 drones could soon become the norm,

Russia hit the Ukrainian city of Odesa with a daytime drone strike on Friday. At least 11 people were injured, according to authorities.

One of Russia’s most powerful men, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, is set to visit North Korea this weekend, in a sign of deepening relations between Moscow and Pyongyang as North Korea gets pulled deeper into Russia’s war in Ukraine.