At least one person killed and 14 injured in Russian attacks on western Ukraine

The attacks come despite an uptick in international diplomacy and talks focused on striking a peace agreement.

One person was killed and at least 14 injured in Russian strikes on western Ukraine on Thursday, despite recent talks that aimed to hammer out a peace deal in Moscow's nearly four-year war. A strike in the western city of Lviv killed one person and injured three others, Ukraine's Emergency Services said. The region's governor, Maksym Kozytskyi, reported that the blast damaged 26 residential buildings, a kindergarten and several office buildings. At least 11 people had to be relocated as a result of the attack. "Lviv had a loud night. The enemy conducted a combined attack with Shahed drones and missiles," Kozytskyi said. A wave of missile and drones caused fires at a large electronics plant in the city of Mukachevo, as air alerts sounded in the Rivne region, around 304 kilometres west of the capital, Kyiv. Additional explosions were heard in the north-western city of Lutsk. Russia has continued its barrage of strikes against Ukraine despite high-level peace talks focused on finding an end to the war earlier in the week. US President Donald Trump sparked cautious optimism among European leaders by suggesting the US would take part in providing security guarantees in the event of a peace settlement, although he later ruled out putting boots on the ground. Assurances against a future invasion are a key element for Kyiv to agree to a peace deal.Ukraine has asked for Western-backed military assurances to prevent Russia from attacking the country again.