Ukrainian drone and shelling attacks killed three people in Russia on Friday, while Russian bombardments on east Ukraine forced the evacuation of a maternity centre in Kharkiv and wounded nine.

The major attack on Ukraine was the second by Moscow in as many days, and came as Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov was set to meet his US counterpart Marco Rubio in Malaysia. AFP journalists in Kyiv heard loud blasts echoing over the city throughout the night and saw flashes from the air defence system lighting up the sky.