Russia blasts Ukraine with more aerial attacks as part of an intensified campaign

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian missiles, bombs and drones battered three regions of Ukraine in targeted nighttime attacks, officials said Friday, as Russia mounts an intensified aerial campaign that Ukrainian officials say they need more Western help to counter — even as doubts deepen over what Kyiv can expect from a new U.S. administration.

Since the war began almost three years ago following Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor, the Russian military has repeatedly used its superior air power to blast civilian targets across Ukraine. More than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the conflict, according to the United Nations.

A 500-kilogram (about 1,000 pounds) glide bomb severely damaged a high-rise apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in the middle of the night, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 25 people, including an infant, were injured, he said.

Glide bombs, for which Ukraine has no effective countermeasure, obliterate their targets, sending out a powerful shock wave and often leaving a wide crater.

In the southern city of Odesa, a Russian drone attack killed one person and injured nine others overnight, regional Gov. Oleh Kiper said.

In the capital Kyiv, falling wreckage from intercepted missiles injured four people, regional Gov. Ruslan Kravchenko said.

In total, Russia fired 92 drones and five missiles at Ukraine during the night, Ukraine’s air force said. Four missiles and 62 drones were intercepted, and 26 drones were jammed electronically, it claimed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country needs more help to fight back against Russia’s military might, even as uncertainty deepens about what Western aid Ukraine can expect after Donald Trump was elected this week as the next U.S. president.

“It is important to act together and decisively at the international level every time Russia tries to destroy our lives,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. “This is the only way to achieve a just peace and stop the deaths of our people.”

Russia launched about 2,000 drones at Ukraine in October, about one-third more than the previous month, making it the third month in a row that there was a significant rise, the U.K. Defense Ministry said Friday.

Russian fire rates have climbed since the middle of the year, it said, adding that the latest high monthly numbers will likely become the norm.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo, provided by head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Oleh Kiper, firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, early Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Telegram Channel of Odesa Region Governor Oleh Kiper via AP)

This photo, provided by head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration Oleh Kiper, shows the site of a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, early Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Telegram Channel of Odesa Region Governor Oleh Kiper via AP)

In this photo provided by Kharkiv Regional Administration, an apartment building is seen damaged by a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, early Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Kharkiv Regional Administration via AP)

In this photo provided by Kharkiv Regional Administration, an apartment building is seen damaged by a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, early Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Kharkiv Regional Administration via AP)

Local women react on destruction of a residential building destroyed by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Kateryna Klochko)

LONDON (AP) —

Britain’s Prince William has described the past year as “brutal” following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. “Honestly, it’s been dreadful,” he said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday as he closed out a four-day trip to South Africa, the Prince of Wales described 2024 as being probably “the hardest year in my life.”

He added: “So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult.

“But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done. But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.”

King Charles III was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, forcing the monarch to step away from public appearances for two months as he focused on his treatment and recovery. Kate, the princess of Wales, announced her own cancer diagnosis a few weeks later and is slowly returning to public duties after completing a course of chemotherapy.

In a video released in September, Kate described her illness as “incredibly tough for us as a family.” William’s comments in South Africa marked the first time he has discussed his own feelings in detail.

Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that Kate and the king would both take part in the national commemoration of Remembrance Day, in central London, on Sunday to honor those who died during the world wars and all the conflicts that have followed.

Prince William was in South Africa to announce the winners of his annual Earthshot competition, which is designed to inspire entrepreneurs and inventors to come up with new ways to combat climate change and other environmental problems. He also attended a meeting sponsored by his United for Wildlife charity, which brought together representatives of law enforcement agencies, conservation groups and corporations that are working to stop the trade in illegal wildlife products.

The work has provided a welcome distraction in an otherwise difficult year.

“It’s more a case of just crack on and you’ve got to keep going,” William said. “I enjoy my work, and I enjoy pacing myself and keeping sure that I have got time for my family, too.”

Britain's King Charles III meets guests during an International Sustainability reception at Buckingham Palace in London, Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024. (Jordan Pettitt/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, speaks to Co-owner of ABALOBI Serge Raemaeker, who were 2023 Earthshot finalists, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales is handed a fish as he speaks to local fisherman, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales, arrives on board a National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) boat to meet 2023 Earthshot finalist ABALOBI, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)

Britain's Prince William, the Prince of Wales receives a gift from a local, at Kalk Bay Harbour, near Cape Town, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (Gianluigi Guercia/Pool Photo via AP)