At Least 9 Dead In Drone Strikes After U.S. And Ukraine Sign Minerals Deal | rssama.com

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone onslaught near astatine slightest 7 group dormant and a Russian onslaught connected Odesa killed 2 group connected Thursday, officials said, conscionable hours aft Kyiv and Washington signed a long-anticipated agreement granting U.S. entree to Ukraine’s mineral resources.

The onslaught successful nan partially occupied Kherson region of confederate Ukraine, which struck a marketplace successful nan municipality of Oleshky, killed 7 and wounded much than 20 people, Moscow-appointed Gov. Vladimir Saldo said.

“At nan clip of nan attack, location were galore group successful nan market,” Saldo wrote connected Telegram. After nan first activity of strikes, he said, Ukraine sent further drones to “finish off” immoderate survivors.

Meanwhile, a Russian drone onslaught connected nan Black Sea larboard metropolis of Odesa early Thursday killed 2 group and injured 15 others, Ukrainian emergency services said.

Regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said nan barrage struck flat buildings, backstage homes, a supermarket and a school.

Communal workers guidelines adjacent to destroyed cars successful nan courtyard of a residential building pursuing a drone onslaught successful Odesa connected May 1, 2025, amid nan Russian penetration of Ukraine.

Oleksandr Gimanov/AFP via Getty Images

Videos shared by Kiper connected Telegram showed a high-rise building pinch a severely damaged facade, a shattered storefront and firefighters battling flames.

A drone struck and ignited a occurrence astatine a petrol position successful nan halfway of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Following nan attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had ignored a U.S. connection for a afloat and unconditional ceasefire for much than 50 days now.

“There were besides our proposals — astatine nan very least, to refrain from striking civilian infrastructure and to found lasting soundlessness successful nan sky, astatine sea, and connected land,” he said. “Russia has responded to each this pinch caller shelling and caller assaults.”

Agreement connected mineral wealth

The U.S. and Ukraine connected Wednesday signed an agreement granting American entree to Ukraine’s immense mineral resources, finalizing a woody months successful nan making that could alteration continued subject assistance to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump mightiness standard backmost support successful ongoing bid negotiations pinch Russia.

Tymofiy Mylovanov, erstwhile system curate and existent president of nan Kyiv School of Economics, said Thursday that contempt what he described arsenic “unimaginable pressure” during negotiations connected nan recently signed minerals deal, Ukraine succeeded successful defending its interests.

“This is simply a immense governmental and negotiated triumph for Ukraine,” Mylovanov wrote connected Facebook. “The woody looks fair.”

Mylovanov said nan woody includes nary request for Ukraine to repay erstwhile U.S. aid, nor does it restrict Kyiv to trading only to American buyers. Instead, he said, nan woody recognizes contributions from some sides: Ukraine’s successful nan shape of revenues from caller projects, and nan U.S. perchance done subject assistance.

Kyiv residents voiced mixed reactions Thursday greeting to nan recently signed U.S.-Ukraine agreement, pinch galore saying they had not yet had clip to afloat understand nan deal’s implications.

Among those who said to The Associated Press astir nan woody was Diana Abramova, who attended a rally successful Independence Square demanding accusation connected missing Ukrainian soldiers. Her father, Valentyn Stroyvans, went missing successful combat past year.

“Any news is difficult to return — whether it’s astir negotiations aliases thing else,” Abramova said. “But I still judge and dream that immoderate action will bring america person to 1 thing: Ukraine’s victory. Only victory.”

Seventy-four-year-old assemblage teacher Natalia Vysotska said she wasn’t acquainted pinch nan specifications of nan statement but remained cautiously optimistic.

“I don’t cognize what nan position are — they whitethorn not beryllium favorable for Ukraine astatine all. Still, if it was signed, our experts must person weighed nan pros and cons. I dream it will beryllium beneficial.”

Others shared a much skeptical view. Iryna Vasylevska, a 37-year-old Kyiv resident, expressed vexation and disillusionment pinch nan broader implications of nan deal.

She told nan AP she feels unspeakable that “our onshore is conscionable a bargaining spot for nan remainder of nan world and that we do not person our ain afloat protection, but trust connected someone.”

“My imagination is that alternatively of strengthening ourselves, we proceed to springiness it each away. I consciousness sorry for our onshore and for our people,” she said.

Russian guidance to nan minerals deal

Reaction to nan signing was mostly muted successful Moscow connected Wednesday, a vacation successful Russia. But nan lawman chair of Russia’s National Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that Trump had forced Ukraine to efficaciously “pay” for American subject assistance pinch its mineral resources.

“Now subject supplies will person to beryllium paid for pinch nan nationalist wealthiness of a disappearing country,” he claimed successful a station connected Telegram.

Vladimir Rogov, president of nan Russian Civic Chamber’s committee connected sovereignty, told Russian authorities news agency RIA Novosti that Zelenskyy had efficaciously handed Ukraine complete to “legally prescribed slavery.”

___

A erstwhile type of this communicative incorrectly stated that Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down 8 Ukrainian drones overnight connected Sunday. The connection was made connected Thursday.

___

___

Morton reported from London.