Secretary Rubio expressed “disappointment and frustration” with the lack of progress in Ukraine peace talks after meeting with his Russian counterpart, Lavrov.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia pounded Ukraine’s capital with another major missile and drone attack overnight into Thursday, killing at least two people and causing fires across Kyiv a day after the heaviest drone attack so far in the more than three-year war, Ukrainian officials said.

Kyiv was the main target of an hourslong assault that killed at least two people, officials said. The barrage came hours before the top American and Russian diplomats met.

A major project called Clear Sky will be launched in Kyiv to protect the capital's airspace from Shahed-type drones using domestically produced interceptor UAVs, informs Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv City Military Administration.

The co-sponsors of new bipartisan U.S. sanctions package targeting Russia have briefed European allies and Ukraine on the legislation.

Drone and missile strikes on Kyiv killed at least two people and injured 24 after Russia launched a sustained airborne assault on the Ukrainian capital for the second night in a row.