Kiev

Ukraine launched a drone attack on a Russian metal plant in a border region on Wednesday, causing a fire at a fuel tank, the local governor said.

Kiev meanwhile announced it had intercepted dozens of Russian drones as both sides launched a wave of overnight aerial attacks in an attempt to hit targets deep behind the front lines.

The Kremlin said on Monday that the content of a leaked conversation between German officials about potential strikes on Crimea proved Western countries were participating in the conflict in Ukraine.

In an embarrassing incident for Berlin, which is under pressure to supply missiles to Kiev, a recording of leaked talks was posted on social media on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday called for the world to help Kiev defeat "Russian evil" as the death toll from a drone strike on Odesa rose to 12, including five children.

The strike on an apartment block in the southern port city early Saturday morning partially destroyed several floors, leaving more than a dozen people under the rubble.

President Vladimir Putin warned on Feb. 29 of a "real" risk of nuclear war if the West escalates the conflict in Ukraine.

In a defiant speech in Moscow, the Russian leader said his soldiers were advancing in Ukraine and warned the West of "tragic consequences" for any country that dared to send troops to Kiev.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has affirmed Türkiye's commitment to pursuing diplomatic avenues to resolve the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, calling for dialogue between the two parties.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet with Balkan leaders in Albania on Wednesday, seeking to keep support and weapons flowing to Kiev as Russia makes gains on the battlefield two years after invading its neighbour.

French President Emmanuel Macron triggered a shockwave in Europe by refusing to rule out the dispatch of Western ground troops to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

French President Emmanuel Macron is due to host European leaders Monday for a conference aimed at strengthening Western support for Ukraine, two years into the Russian invasion.

The meeting in Paris will be a chance for participants to "reaffirm their unity as well as their determination to defeat the war of aggression waged by Russia in Ukraine", the French presidency said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised victory against Russia on the second anniversary of the invasion on Saturday as his troops fight on despite a lack of Western aid and recent Russian gains.

"We will win," he said at a ceremony at Kiev's Gostomel airport, which was targeted by Russia in the first days of the all-out assault in 2022.

Ukraine on Saturday marked two years since Russia's invasion, entering a new year of war weakened by a lack of western aid while Russia is emboldened by fresh gains.