A combined missile and drone attack on theKyivregion killed at least four people and wounded at least 15 overnight into Saturday, according to the head of the regional administration for the Ukrainian capital.

Three of the wounded were in critical condition, of whom two were undergoing surgery, Mykola Kalashnyk reported on Saturday. The attack hit four districts, damaging residential buildings, educational institutions, enterprises and critical infrastructure, Kalashnyk added in a social media post.

The strikes came days after the US postponedpeace talksbetweenRussiaandUkrainescheduled for this week, citing the war in theMiddle East.

Read moreRussia is wrong to think Iran war will offer respite on Ukraine, Macron says

As US and Israeli missiles and bombs rain onIran, Russia has responded with words of indignation but no action to support its ally.

Moscows failure to help another ally, after the 2024 ouster of former Syrian ruler Bashar Assad and Januarys US arrest of Venezuelan leaderNicolas Maduro, highlighted the limits of its influence but theKremlinexpects to reap benefits from theIran war.

Russia is already profiting from a surge in globalenergyprices, and could hope that the Mideast war will detract attention from Ukraine and deplete Western arsenals.

Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskysaid Friday that the 30-day US waiver on Russian oilsanctionsamid the Iran war is not the right decision and wont help bring a stop to Russias more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war, Zelensky said. This certainly does not help peace.

Earlier this week, Russian and Ukrainian officials both claimed front-line progress, with Ukraine saying it pushed Moscows forces back across places on the front line and the Kremlin insisting Russias invasion of its neighbor is making progress.

Meanwhile, Russias almost daily attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas have continued.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)

Originally published on France24