Russia has attacked Ukrainian cities again overnight as Ukraine accuses Russia of dragging its feet on new U.S.-brokered peace talks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Washington is proposing talks next week in Miami or in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. He says Ukraine confirms it can attend but Russia is hesitating. Zelenskyy says major disputes still block a deal, including issues of occupied land and security guarantees. He also says Russia is ignoring a proposed ceasefire that impacts the energy sector. Ukraine's air force said on Thursday that Russia fired drones and missiles at Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. Officials report injuries, damaged homes and major heating outages in the Ukrainian capital.

Russian drone strikes have knocked out power in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region and left over 600,000 households in Dnipropetrovsk without electricity. Officials reported the overnight attacks on Thursday. This comes amid U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, nearly four years after Russia's invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Russia for targeting public services, calling it "weaponizing winter." Emergency crews restored power in Zaporizhzhia, but many in Dnipropetrovsk remain without electricity. Zelenskyy urged global partners to pressure Moscow and mentioned ongoing discussions for postwar security guarantees with the U.S.

Officials say Russian drones, missiles and artillery have killed at least 26 civilians and injured more than 200 others in Ukraine. The attacks coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's push for guarantees of further Western military aid for his country. Zelenskyy met Tuesday with Western leaders attending a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. He is keen to lock in additional military support for Ukraine's fight against Russia, as direct peace talks have delivered no progress on a possible settlement. Analysts say key U.S. military commitments to Ukraine left over from the Biden administration are expected to run out within months, and there is uncertainty over whether President Donald Trump will provide more.

Ukrainian officials say Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, killing three people, including a child. Dozens were wounded in the attack late Wednesday. The strike was the latest in a string of Russian attacks that have caused civilian casualties and intensified in recent weeks as the United States continues efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to support the country with air defense weapons. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian team was in Paris on Thursday for talks with allies including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as a U.S. delegation. Zelenskyy and Trump said their countries were finalizing a long-delayed minerals deal.

Ukraine is expanding its military recruiting to cope with battlefield shortages more than two years into fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. That, for the first time, includes inmates at the country's prisons and penal colonies. Prisoners can be granted parole after an interview, medical exam, and a review of their conviction, under a new law approved by parliament last month. Certain categories of serious offenders are excluded. Olena Vysotska, Ukraine's deputy justice minister, told The Associated Press that more than 3,000 prisoners have already been released on parole and have been placed with military units.