Russia and Ukraine continued to conduct drone strikes targeting each other's territory in the early morning of March 16, causing casualties and damage, in the context of the unknown fate of the 30-day ceasefire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously expressed support for the proposed ceasefire but stressed that the Russian army will continue fighting until some important conditions are met.
While negotiations have not yet progressed, both sides have escalated the conflict with airstrikes. Russia is also getting closer to completely withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast, which it has been partly controlled for months.
In Russia, three people, including a 7-year-old boy, were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Belgorod border area, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Two people were injured when a drone attacked their home in Gubkinsky district, causing a fire. Another person was injured in the attack in Dolgoye village.
Invoronezh region (Russia), Governor Alexander Gusev said air defense units shot down more than 15 Ukrainian drones. There have been no reports of damage or casualties. Meanwhile, the Rostov region governor's office said the defense forces repelled a drone attack overnight without recording any damage.
In Ukraine, Russian airstrikes also continue to take place. A drone attack has set a fire at a high-rise building in the northern Chernihiv region, according to the Ukrainian Emergency Department.
Local media also recorded a series of explosions in the area around the capital Kiev after the Ukrainian air force warned of the risk of drone strikes here and some other central areas. As of 03:00 GMT on March 16, there was still no official information about the damage in the Kiev area.
Despite the increased airstrikes, the US- Proposed ceasefire has not yet reached a consensus among all parties, complicating the fighting situation.
