Sawt Falasteen - Russia launches deadly strike on Kharkiv amid stalled peace talks

Russia has fired record numbers of drones and missiles at Ukraine over recent weeks, escalating three years of daily bombardments as it outlines hardline demands -- rejected by Kyiv as "ultimatums" -- to halt its invasion.

The northeastern city of Kharkiv, just 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Russian border, again bore the brunt of the attack.

"Seventeen strikes by enemy UAVs (drones) were carried out in two districts of the city tonight," Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram.

Kharkiv regional Governor Oleg Synegubov said three people had been killed.

AFP journalists in the city saw damaged apartment blocks, burnt out cars and streets strewn with debris after the attacks.

Olena Khoruzheva had run into the hallway -- away from the windows -- with her two children when she heard the incoming drones.

"The younger one lay on the floor, hands on his head. I was on top of him," the 41-year-old pharmacist told AFP.

"We heard it approaching. Silence, and then we were thrown against the wall ... there were more explosions, then we heard people shouting 'Help! Help!"

Her 65-year-old neighbour was one of those killed in the attack.

Early on Wednesday morning, an AFP reporter saw first responders removing the body of one killed resident from a block of apartments in a black body bag.

- Stalled peace talks -

Ukraine's air force said Russia had fired 85 drones overnight -- fewer than in recent days.

US President Donald Trump has been urging the two sides to strike a peace deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has in turn called on the West to up the pressure on Russia with hard-hitting economic sanctions that he says would limit its capacity to wage war.

He is expected to press that message with Trump and European leaders at a G7 summit in Canada, which kicks off on Sunday.

Two rounds of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have failed to yield a breakthrough in ending the war.

Russia has rejected calls for an unconditional ceasefire and demanded that Ukraine give up its territory and bid to join NATO.

But the two sides agreed to swap more than 1,000 prisoners of war and hand over the bodies of dead soldiers, swapping groups of captured soldiers on Monday and Tuesday.

The attacks came after Russia pummelled Kharkiv on Saturday in what Terekhov had called "the most powerful attack" on the city since the start of the war.

Kyiv has hit back with retaliatory drone strikes on Russia, with Moscow's defence ministry saying 32 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight.

Both sides have downplayed any chance of progress at talks in Istanbul.

While not rejecting diplomacy, Zelensky called it "pointless" to hold further talks with the current Russian delegation -- whom he previously dismissed as "empty heads" -- since they could not agree to a ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week called Kyiv a "terrorist" regime and questioned why he should negotiate with them.

A.AlHaj--SF-PST